Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown has not appeared in a preseason game and sat out several training camp practices with another knee injury. This is an alarming development based on his medical history. Brown needed surgery on both knees following a 2020 season in which he totaled 1,075 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns despite missing two games and playing through pain for much of the year.
How long could A.J. Brown’s injury keep him out of action?
So, how serious is this latest flare-up? Not serious enough that it will keep him out of the Titans’ season opener, ESPN first reported. Brown is on track to play in Week 1.
The star wide receiver returned to practice this week after sitting out last week, although the Titans’ medical staff is easing him back in with low-impact individual drills and rehab work. On-site reporters pointed out that Brown was not wearing a brace or sleeve on his affected right knee.
Brown wrote on Twitter recently:
Blessed to play the game I love. Getting goosebumps… it’s almost that time fr!
— AJ Brown (@1kalwaysopen_) August 26, 2021
Past injury history is something to monitor with Brown
While Brown is certainly trending in the right direction, it would be foolish to dismiss this latest setback.
At 24 years old, Brown has already had a series of knee issues. Tennessee would surely prefer to see him get through a year healthy before giving him a big-money extension, which he is eligible to sign after this season.
Brown is set to earn just $1 million in base salary this fall. And while he could earn more in performance and playoff bonuses, his 2021 compensation will fall far short of his market value, which Spotrac estimates is $19.5 million annually.
Health has been his only red flag
Brown is seven months removed from what his camp deemed as “minor” surgery on both knees after a Pro Bowl sophomore campaign. Brown essentially documented the procedure in real time. The Titans WR went live on Instagram as he was coming out of anesthesia and still hooked up to a heart monitor, declaring, “I’m going to be the best receiver in the NFL.”
“I was sore all year,” Brown said. “Nobody knew. They told me I was done for the year in like Week 2. I played all year. I ended up making the Pro Bowl. Didn’t know how I was going to do it. I did it.”
Brown later apologized for his ill-advised live stream, tweeting:
Hi everyone , I’m doing fine post surgery. I’m really embarrassed that I did that. Even though it was funny to many , I didn’t find it funny . I’m sorry I embarrassed the Titans organization because that is not who I am at all. It’s really the nurse fault btw.
— AJ Brown (@1kalwaysopen_) January 21, 2021
Brown took it slow with his rehab. He did not participate in the Titans’ OTAs or minicamp this spring but was cleared for full participation in training camp. He looked healthy and dominant early in camp, only to have this latest issue surface.