Eagles right guard Brandon Brooks left in the first quarter of the team’s 17-9 loss to the Seahawks and did not return. The team listed Brooks as out with an illness and sources tell Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer that anxiety was the culprit.
Brooks has talked openly about his struggles with mental illness throughout his career. This would not be the first time Brooks’ fight has caused him to miss time on the field. In 2016, Brooks missed a pair of games when he suffered panic attacks during the team’s pregame warmups. The severe anxiety seemed to cause Brooks more problems earlier in his career during his tenure with the Texans, but as most people with mental illness will tell you, cures are few and far between.
The Eagles were already dealing with the absence of right tackle Lane Johnson and were left with backups on the entire right side of their offensive line. Veteran backup Halapoulivaati Vaitai first stepped in for Brooks, but the Eagles decided to slide Vaitai over to right tackle due to the struggles of Andre Dillard. In Vaitai’s place, Matt Pryor received the first substantial action of his two-year career.
Brooks signed as a free agent with Philadelphia after the 2015 season to a 5-year, $62.5MM contract. Since joining Philly, Brooks has become one of the better interior lineman in football, reaching the Pro Bowl in each of the last two seasons. Going forward, the Eagles will hope to get one of the biggest pieces of their offense back.
Contact sports seem like a good idea for people suffering from mental illness?
Seems like a good way to pay for the best treatment available.
I mean, contact sports aren’t a good idea for people suffering from a physical ailment/illness but we seem to accept that…
I mean, contact sports are probably worse for people suffering from physical illnesses/ailments but we seem to be fine with that…
Having a mental illness doesn’t mean you can’t play football. What are you even trying to say with that comment?
I’m sure there’s plenty of players suffering from mental illnesses in the NFL. Many people are uncomfortable speaking about it, whether they play in the nfl or not. It’s not something many of us are proud of
Completely agree though, no reason why a mental illness should stop you from doing something you love. Good for him
Huh?
Sad. I do hope he gets better.
Wow, how fragile we’ve become.
Wow, how stupid we’ve become.
Wow. Just wow.
Dumbest comment ever. Just complete and total ignorance of mental illness. Go back to your mom’s basement and play with your train set.
If there was an award for idiocy, you just won it.
I used to think that way. I thought people with panic attacks and anxiety were soft and defective. I thought that way until one day I woke up in the middle of the night clawing at my chest feeling like I was drowning and couldn’t breath. I went to the E.R. thinking I was having a heart attack. Nope. It was a panic attack. I was honestly embarrassed.
At the time I was a homicide detective. I had been in the middle of violence for two decades and it caught up to me psychologically. Which manifested itself physically.
I have had a few instances of anxiety since. I don’t take meds. I just white knuckle it.
I suggest instead of being judgmental maybe take a step back and put yourself in someone elses shoes for a second. Empathy. Compassion. They don’t cost a cent.
Its people like you that makes it hard for people like him and my self I go to bed every night hopping it’s my last night
And I hope you don’t ever have to go down that path and find out how hard it really is
i have panic disorder so i totally understand this. anyone who says he’s soft or whatever. you will never understand until you experience it first hand.
This makes my heart hurt for him. Hope he finds what he needs and gets back on the field.
Are anxiety and panic attacks classified as mental illness? Not downplaying, just wondering. I have always had anxiety and it turned into panic attacks for the first time at
age 33. If you think its not real, or makes someone soft, I pray you never gave to experience it.
Very much so. There are all types of anxiety disorders, generalized and social being two of them, listed in the diagnostic manual. Panic disorder is also considered a mental health disorder.
Thanks for the reply.luckily mine seems to be under control with no meds so I realize I am extremely lucky and probably have a very mild case compared to what some are dealing with.
Mild or not it certainly isn’t fun, so it’s good to hear that you are managing yours!
I know the cure for anxiety, but I won’t say on here, because it’ll bring out the haters.
Well, I’m sure you’re right since there’s no cure and you would be spewing nonsense.
I rest my case.
I love the irony of a Browns fan having cures. Too bad the FO has never had that gift.
I dont like how panic attacks anxiety etc are “mental illness”. Idk mentally ill always felt like psycho paths or people with serious “mental problems” like mood disorders. I dont see anxiety panic attacks etc as an illness.
Times have changed, bighurt. But that’s why mental illness isn’t used as often “mental health issues” or descriptors like “struggling with mental health”. Even “mental disorders” comes off a little nicer than “mental illness”
This is one of the many things wrong with the medical profession today. They care more about inventing cute little euphemisms than actually providing help to those doing the suffering.
Block out the haters, Brandon. your condition is much more important than a game played for the public’s entertainment.
As someone who suffers from PTSD, Desert Storm, I can relate with his plight.