Offensive lineman Trent Brown was noticeably missed in the Patriots' 10-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 10, with New England's line allowing Mac Jones to take five sacks.
Although injuries to his ankle and knee were the primary reasons for Brown's inactive designation, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer also pointed out that Brown has had a tardiness issue throughout the season.
"I'm still told he's habitually late to things," Breer said. "That problem hasn't gone away this year."
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Dakota Randall, a Patriots beat reporter for NESN, took to X on Sunday morning to post the above quote from Breer, adding to the speculation that Brown is in fact out for his tardiness. Patriots' cornerback J.C. Jackson was also left home for New England's trip to Germany for off-the-field issues.
Following the conclusion of the Patriots loss, Brown responded to the post.
Seemingly denying the fact that he was held out because of off-field reasons such as him being late, Brown reinforced that the only reason he was held out was because of his injury. His response on X brought in mixed reactions from fans, with some wishing him a speedy recovery and others blaming him for his lack of commitment to the team.
Going into their bye week, Brown will have an extra week to recover from nagging injuries with the hope of rejoining the first team in New England's Week 12 matchup against the New York Giants.
