While most athletes would seek a mental and physical break from the game they love, Sydney Brown will focus only on rehabilitation.
Philadelphia Eagles left lineman Jordan Mailata, for example, stated that he intends to spend a “proper honeymoon” with his wife, the location of which is still being planned after they married earlier this year. Left guard Landon Dickerson, who had Mailata serve as best man at his wedding last spring, said he plans to spend time with his wife and travel.
Eventually, all roads will lead back to preparation for 2024, most likely sooner than later.
Brown, on the other hand, is scheduled to undergo surgery after this weekend’s divisional round of the playoffs to repair an ACL injury sustained on the third play of the regular-season finale.
The rookie safety was able to walk off the pitch at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, following the injury, but when he reached the sideline, he realised something was seriously wrong.
“I was like, oh (bleep)t, it feels a little unstable,” Brown remarked on the team’s split day on Wednesday. “I went to take a step and realised something didn’t feel right. I knew in the moment but didn’t fully embrace it until I was in the tent, and I believe I had a lot of emotions right then.”
Brown entered the locker room, took his cell phone out of his locker, and instantly contacted his twin brother, Chase Brown, a rookie running back for the Cincinnati Bengals.
“He’s my go-to guy to get something off my chest,” Brown remarked. “We both shed a few tears briefly, but after that, I thought, ‘Man, I’ll have another chance to prove myself. You don’t get to do that too often.’
“It was challenging. We shared that moment, and it was like, “Man, it sucks, and you’re going back and forth.”
Chase later texted his brother a clip from the film ‘The Dark Knight Rises,’ which depicted Batman, played by Christin Bale, emerging from a deep, dark hole filled with inmates.
“It was one of those moments like, ‘Yeah, that’s what the grind’s going to be, that’s exactly what it’s going to be like, and when you reach it, it’s going to be quite satisfying,'” he explained.
“There aren’t many people who can get out of that abyss; it’s totally up to you. You’ll get out of there faster than everyone else. Everything revolves around what I’m doing right now. I could either sit and fret about it, or I could do action. I am going to totally crush this procedure. I am not concerned about that. I’m going to attack it and do everything I can to get better.”
Brown estimated that the rehabilitation period would last six to nine months. He hopes to return at some point during training camp, or no later than Week 1.
“I’ve already counted down the weeks and the potential when I can be back,” he went on to say. “I will do everything in my power to get back…”The fact that I’ll be able to complete it throughout the offseason will demonstrate my character and ability to persevere. This will be nothing. “I am going to kick this thing.”
