In 2023, defensive tackle Derrick Brown had a Pro Bowl season for the Carolina Panthers. In 2024, the former Auburn All-American relearned how to walk.
“When they took my crutch away from me, I did have to relearn that,” Brown said on Thursday. “Eight, nine weeks of being on crutches, no weight bearing, and then trying to get on the treadmill and walk again, it felt funny. But huge strides from where we were then, and now back out in the field running around with everybody.”
In the Panthers’ season-opening game against the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 8, Brown sustained a meniscus tear in his left knee. He is still recovering from the surgery needed to repair the problem.
“I expect to be out there in training camp, load management and, hopefully, in the next few weeks I get cleared,” Brown said. “So that’s the goal. And then at that point, it’s just getting back in football shape and being able to go out there and play with the team. That’s what’s on my mind, to be honest.”
Brown said it has been hard to be patient with the injury.
“I was talking to (defensive end) A’Shawn (Robinson) yesterday, and he’s like, ‘You be good,’” Brown said. “I’m like, ‘It’s like you go to the playground. You got the basketball when you’re a little kid, and they play with your ball, but then everybody else’s playing, you got to sit out and watch.’ I’m like, it sucks, but it’s one of those things that it’s just part of the process.”
The Panthers concluded their offseason program this week with mandatory minicamp, and Brown participated in walkthroughs.
“Been doing a lot of rehab on the side,” Brown said. “Been doing some walkthroughs and stuff. I mean, nothing compares to being in team period, so, I mean, that sucks. But I’m just glad to be out here, to be honest. I spent most of the fall in the training room not being able to be out here, so I’m grateful for it. …
“With the defense, it’s always moving parts, so even with installs, to be able to come out here and walk through those things and just be able to get those physical reps, it’s super important to me. I mean, just being able to be back out there with the team, go through that, make the checks, make my mistakes and do it during the walkthrough period, and then just I feel like when we get to camp, hopefully, be able to jump in there immediately -- but probably not. But it’s going to be one of those things where I got to make mistakes before I get back to where I was.”
In 2023, Brown recorded 103 tackles in 17 games – 11 more tackles than any other NFL defensive lineman that season. Since tackles became an official statistic in 2001, Brown had five more than any other interior defensive lineman had recorded in one season. Brown also had two sacks, seven tackles for loss, 15 quarterback hits, one interception and five pass break-ups during his fourth NFL season.
Without Brown in the lineup for almost all of 2024, Carolina yielded 534 points, the most by one team in NFL history.
The Panthers’ most recent winning season and playoff appearance came in 2017. But Brown thinks Carolina is headed in the right direction after the Panthers won four of their final nine games in coach Dave Canales’ first season in 2024.
“I told them from the beginning, I want to be a part of it for the long run,” Brown said. “So just to see the kind of the picture coming into play right now, it’s one of those things that it just makes me more excited to just get back to it.”
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at@AMarkG1.