After all the bad news that came out of One Bills Drive, one of the first moves in response to that information was to sign QB Anthony Brown Jr. to a one-year deal Monday night.
The former Boston College and Oregon quarterback has had a few cups of coffee in the NFL, seeing playing time in two games and spending more time on the practice squad. Brown was a UDFA coming out of Oregon in 2022 and brought with him a host of injuries that likely led to his UDFA status.
Read below for Anthony Brown Jr.’s publicly reported injury history and analysis.
Injury History
College
2017 Boston College
Upper body injury, vs Louisville, missed 0 games.
Brown was probable with an upper body injury against Virginia and suited up against Virginia.
Right ACL tear, vs NC State, missed 3 games.
Brown suffered a right ACL tear midway through the game when he went for a run, cutting off the right leg before falling to the ground. He underwent season-ending ACL reconstruction and missed the rest of the season.
2018 Boston College
Abdominal injury, vs Clemson, missed 0 games.
Brown was forced to exit the game vs Clemson after getting tackled by DT Christian Wilkins during the first series. Brown was hit and he fell onto his throwing shoulder but he was later diagnosed with an abdominal injury. He did not miss any time but it was described as a freak injury.
2019 Boston College
Left ACL tear, vs Louisville, missed 7 games.
Brown suffered a left ACL tear against Louisville, prematurely ending his season and forcing him to once again undergo reconstructive ACL surgery. He declined the use of any pain medication according to reports.
2020 Oregon
No publicly reported injuries.
2021 Oregon
Neck injury, vs Stony Brook, missed 0 games.
Brown was forced to leave the game with a neck injury that Oregon ultimately won but did not miss any extended time.
Brown dealt with various injuries throughout his senior season. According to the article, he dealt with an undisclosed injury in Week 1 vs Fresno State, suffered the above mentioned neck injury, and also suffered a hand injury later against Washington State.
The article also mentioned multiple knee injuries and Brown himself mentions a foot, but no additional details could be found.
NFL
2022-2023 Baltimore Ravens
No publicly reported injuries.
2024 Las Vegas Raiders
No publicly reported injuries, offseason only.
Injury Analysis
Looking at the injury history along with his body of play, it’s easy to see why Brown went undrafted. He has seen his fair share of injuries, some that are expected given the quarterback position.
Most of the injuries appear to be one-off issues, especially the abdomen and the multitude of injuries during the 2021 season. The biggest concerns are the bilateral ACL tears two years apart. It’s well documented that ACL tears are at their highest risk to tear the same or other side within two years of the first injury. This was unfortunately the case with Brown but he was able to battle back every time and still perform at a high level.
It has been five years since his last tear and as long as his knees check out for any arthritic changes or if he had any associated damage, then there isn’t too much concern moving forward for Brown. He is taking advantage of an opportunity to get more playing time in the NFL with the hopes of finding a home on a practice squad, potentially the Bills as they wait for Mitch Trubisky to heal and with Shane Buechele out for the season.
I wish Anthony Brown Jr. the best of luck this season and to remain healthy.
Top Photo Credit: Silver and Black Pride
