The Raiders won’t have their Pro Bowl tackle for the remainder of this season.
Trent Brown, signed to a huge free-agent deal this offseason, will go on injured reserve, said head coach Jon Gruden, and won’t play in the final two regular-season games – or the playoffs, should Oakland defy the long odds and earn a postseason spot.
Brown, who hasn’t played since the game against Kansas City on Dec. 1, has a chest injury. It wasn’t getting better, so the Raiders have decided to shut down Brown and allow him to heal.
The decision came just after it was announced Brown (and center Rodney Hudson) had been selected to the Pro Bowl.
Said Gruden: “(The injury) is just not getting any better. It’s disappointing. Congratulations to him for making the Pro Bowl. Obviously, what he did put on tape was very impressive.”
Brown was a difference-maker at right tackle, protecting quarterback Derek Carr and also opening holes for rookie running back Josh Jacobs (who also won’t play this week). His absence Sunday against the Chargers could allow the strong Los Angeles pass rush – featuring Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram – to get to Carr or put consistent pressure on him.
Carr has called Brown “a monster” for the way he physically dominates opponents.
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“When it comes to pass game, run game, you literally see him throw grown men eight to 10 yards off the ball,” Carr told Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com. “It’s crazy what he’s able to do against some really talented people.”
Second-year tackle Brandon Parker is expected to start in Brown’s place.
Kickoff for Sunday’s game in Carson is set for 1:05 p.m.
