Brandon Brooks Retires at 32, Cites Injuries as the Reason

The offensive lineman became one of the best at his position during his six years with the Eagles and, in 2017, helped deliver a memory of a lifetime for fans with a Super Bowl title

Brandon Brooks’ body told him enough was enough, and just like that, at the age of 32, the Eagles’ offensive lineman chose to call it a career, holding a virtual retirement press conference that ran for about 40 minutes on Wednesday morning.

“I don’t want to say it was a moment of clarity,” he said. “It was just, at what point do you listen to your body? It’s one thing to have an injury or two, one or two big injuries. But I’m having injury after injury, so at what point do I listen? When I blow out my knee? Or when something crazy happens?”

Something crazy already happened. 

He blew out a right Achilles in the first quarter of a playoff loss to the New Orleans Saints in 2018. Last June, his left Achilles ruptured. In between those two serious injuries, he had right shoulder after an injury in the 2019 regular-season finale. This year, he suffered a pectoral strain in Week 2 and he never returned.

“(Retirement is) something I’ve wrestled with since really last offseason,” Brooks said. “I think in this game, although I’m a young man in the game of life, I’m older now at 32. I think my body is trying to tell me through these injuries that, can I still play, the answer is yes, but the answer is also at this point is kind of hold up.

“After all these injuries I just realized that at one point do you listen to your body. I think my body was just telling me, I had to make a decision. At this point in time, it’s the right decision.”

@bbrooks_79 Hell of a career B!! You will be missed, and a legend forever in my eyes. It was a pleasure having you as a teammate for years here in Philly. We both came here in 2016 on a quest for a championship, and we did it! Wish you the best brother ✊🏾

— Rodney McLeod (@Rodney_McLeod4) January 26, 2022

Brooks was one of the best free-agent signings perhaps in the team’s history.

He arrived in 2016 from the Houston Texans, who had drafted him the third round in 2012, and began stacking Pro Bowls, making three in a row from 2018-2020 to become the first guard in Eagles history to make three Pro Bowls.

He helped the Eagles win a Super Bowl in 2017 and, during his six seasons adopted Philadelphia as his home despite being raised in Milwaukee and attending college at Miami of Ohio.

Brooks said he plans on applying to the University of Pennsylvania’s business school in their third round of admissions.

“I’m Philly,” he said. “This is home for me. This will always be home for me.”

In his opening statement, Brooks thanked Eagles fans.

“The City of Brotherly is just that, love,” he read. “From day one you had my back and supported me through my ups and downs by sending love and support through my personal struggles. You’ll always be family to me, and I couldn't imagine finishing my career anywhere else. I hope in return I did my best to represent the city through my play and how I played.

“Although I may no longer be a player, I’ll be an Eagle forever, will always bleed green.”

Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland helped make Brooks the best player at his position, and he was someone Brooks got a bit emotional talking about as he thanked him while reading a letter he had written before taking questions.

“You took me from being a good player to being the best at my position,” read Brooks. "...Just as you helped me on the field, you helped me off. Through all my struggles and my moments, I could always count on a phone call from you, the topic never being about football but about life and how you get help. You are more than a coach and have been for a while.”

@bbrooks_79 Big money congrats on a hell of a career bro definitely will be missed 🙌🏾 https://t.co/Zf2l4UiGsw

— Javon Hargrave (@Jay_MostWanted) January 26, 2022

Brooks’ battle with anxiety and depression is a part of his legacy and something he openly discussed over the years in order to try to help others struggling with that particular mental disorder. 

He helped his teammate, Lane Johnson, when Johnson struggled earlier this season and missed three games.

Brooks said he went to Johnson’s house and the two just sat there together for a while before talking, then they just talked about life.

“Beyond his on-field accomplishments, I am most proud of the way Brandon represents our organization with exemplary class,” owner Jeffrey Lurie said in the statement. “He is one of the most thoughtful and bravest athletes I have ever been around.

"Brandon's willingness to openly discuss his own struggles with anxiety has served as an inspiration to so many and helped open the door for future conversations among athletes and role models everywhere."

Brandon Brooks takes questions about his retirement on Wednesday

The Eagles recently restructured Brooks’ contract to generate $12 million in salary-cap relief for the 2022 season. He had signed a four-year, $56M contract extension in November of 2019, but struggled with injuries since then, injuries he always seemed to bounce quickly back from.

“I always enjoyed the rehab process, I always enjoyed trying to beat the odds, always trying to get back earlier than what they said,” he said. “That’s something I always tried to hang my hat, but at the end of the day, it was what it was.

The pectoral injury this past season took longer, and that may have been the clinching reason why Brooks ultimately called it a career.

“I think you realize at a certain age your body’s not necessarily recovering like it used to,” he said. “It took a little longer than what I would have liked and in the end, I didn’t have enough time (to come back this year) to get where I needed to be able to at least get a couple of practices under my belt, so that was kind of it in a nutshell.

“Like I said, it was unfortunate really the last two years, how things ended, but for me, it was a lot more about the journey. You can’t have joy without sadness. The first four years I wouldn’t trade for the world if I had to weather these last two. It was unfortunate. I wish I could have been out there, but it didn’t happen.”

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Eagle Maven and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglemaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.