Arizona Cardinals: John Brown injury an underrated storyline
Mike Jenkins is the Arizona Cardinals player who is out for the 2016 season, but a different injury on the team should start capturing more headlines.
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Notoriously deep at the wide receiver position, the Arizona Cardinals might not suffer too much if No. 2 wideout John Brown missed an extended period of time. They certainly wouldn’t have anything to worry about if Brown missed a couple of games to start the season, since he’d be back in the fold when the team truly needs him.
On August 1, Brown entered the league’s concussion protocol, and he hasn’t been cleared to play since then. Just recently, Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians said that while the wide receiver has made progress, he is “still having headaches”.
Arians: Jenkins has a torn ACL. Done for the year. Taylor bruised knee, 10 days. WR John brown still having headaches but making progress
— Kent Somers (@kentsomers) August 29, 2016
This is scary business. Brown will probably be good-to-go in a few weeks and might only have to miss one regular season game, but when a player has been out for a month with a concussion, red flags are raised.
Brown returned to practice a few days ago, but the fact that he still dealing with headaches means that his Week 1 availability needs to be called into question.
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Not only does this have fantasy ramifications, but it is worrisome for Brown’s long-term health in this league. Just 26, the 5’11”, 179-pound Pittsburg State product emerged as one of the NFL’s best playmakers in 2015. A second-year breakout star, Brown needed just 65 catches to churn out over 1,000 receiving yards, and he caught seven touchdowns, too. With 9.93 yards per target, Brown was a beacon of efficiency in a Cardinals offense that was first in yards and first in net yards per pass attempt.
My concerns may be unwarranted, but I get nervous any time a player can’t get on the field due to a brain injury.
What adds another interesting layer to Brown’s injury as a storyline, particularly from a fantasy perspective, is the Cardinals depth at wide receiver.
Interesting Brown dichotomy with John Brown not practicing with a headache as Jaron Brown has looked like the best WR on the #Cards in camp.
— Blake Allen Murphy (@blakemurphy7) August 24, 2016
Less targets would stand to benefit Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd the most, but what about the likes of Jaron Brown and J.J. Nelson?
After averaging 27.2 yards per reception and boasting some of the fastest wheels in the league, Nelson will surely garner more than 27 targets in 2016, right? The other Brown isn’t to be taken lightly either, and it will be interesting to see what John Brown’s target total looks like this season. He absolutely maximized his 101 targets in 2015, but will he have enough volume in 2016? And will Carson Palmer match his efficiency again?
Brown’s concussion is worth monitoring over the first month of the season. He is the most physically gifted and explosive wide receiver on the team, and the 9.93 yards per target average speaks for itself. In order to meet fantasy demand, he might have to replicate that clip this season, especially if the other wide receivers on the roster make some noise.
The Cardinals offense is either the league’s most dangerous or second-most dangerous unit (it really depends on what you think about the Martavis Bryant-less Pittsburgh Steelers), and Brown is a critical component of it. Moreover, his situation has an unknown effect on the other players around him, beyond his fellow 15+ YPR star Michael Floyd.
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Honestly, though, the biggest reason why Brown’s injury is such an important storyline is the concussion issue that weighs around the NFL. This is a young, high-profile player on a Super Bowl contender, and he can’t get on the field due to a concussion. His head coach is giving us mixed messages, he hasn’t been able to play in any of the team’s preseason games, and, yes, it is a scary thing to see as an outsider.
Let’s hope he gets back on the field soon and continues to shine as one of the league’s understated geniuses at the wide receiver position.