Patriots offensive tackle Trent Brown shares details about illness that lost him 12 pounds

While injuries have plagued the Patriots offensive line in numerous positions this season, Trent Brown has handled 100 percent of the left tackle snaps in all game but one (where he came off the bench to play 68 percent of the snaps).

That does not mean the 6-foot-8 tackle has been at full capacity, however.

Over the past few weeks, Brown has been battling an illness — which he called close to the sickest he’s ever been. He revealed on Wednesday that he lost 12 pounds throughout the multi-week flu.

The illness was first noted in New England’s Week 11 game against the New York Jets. It was the lone game this season Brown did not start, as Isaiah Wynn began the game manning Mac Jones’ blindside — a decision Bill Belichick described as a “coaching decision.” However, after Wynn was removed due to injury, Brown entered and played 43 snaps.

Two weeks later, Brown was a last second add to the Patriots’ injury report with an illness. It came just hours before New England was slated to take on the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night. As the Patriots came out for warmups, Brown was not spotted as veteran center James Ferentz lined up at left tackle in warmups.

Once kickoff occurred, Brown took over his usual left tackle spot and played every snap the rest of the way. The illness likely would have kept him out of the game, but he battled through as tackles Isaiah Wynn and Yodny Cajuste were both inactive due to injuries.

“I just felt like it was the only option to be up to get ready to play, and I also knew we didn’t have anybody else that particular week, we didn’t have anybody else,” Brown said on Wednesday. “So, I mean, we would have had a backup center playing left tackle, so I just had to try to gut through it for the team.”

Brown looked visibly gutted in the locker room following the game and went on to miss several practices before New England’s next game against the Arizona Cardinals. After playing Monday night against Arizona, he now feels like he's on the path to feeling like himself again.

“I’m on the uptick now, but I was fighting the flu for a couple weeks,” Brown said. “Glad I’m finally feeling better. Hopefully, it continues to trend that way.”

Brown added he hopes to be near, or at, 100 percent as the Patriots take on the Raiders on Sunday. New England will certainly hope for that as they will matchup against one of the top pass rush duos in the league in Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones.

“Just being able to be out there, honestly, and feel like myself again,” he said. “Confidently able to play my game and do the things that I like to do well.”