Derrick Brown injury update: NFL insider reveals potential season-ending knee injury

Just when the Carolina Panthers’ disappointing 47-10 Week 1 loss to the New Orleans Saints to start the season couldn’t get worse, potentially devastating came out of Charlotte on Monday morning. With NFL insider Tom Pelissero reporting that Pro Bowl defensive lineman Derrick Brown suffered a potentially season-ending knee injury on Sunday.

Brown suffered a meniscus injury that will require surgery. His exact timeline for a return to the field remains in question. But there’s no doubt that the loss of one of the NFL’s best defensive tackles serves as a brutal blow for the Carolina Panthers regardless of how long he’s unavailable.

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The 26-year-old was selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft with the No. 7 overall pick by Carolina. He earned the first Pro Bowl selection of his career after notching a career-high 103 tackles (NFL record for a defensive tackle) and 15 quarterback hits last season along with seven tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks. Also earning himself a four-year, $96 million contract extension this offseason that guarantees him $63 million.

When Brown’s injury occurred on Sunday is unknown after he played in 60 of the Panthers’ 66 total defensive snaps and ended the game with three tackles. Doing his best to slow down a Saints offense that was firing on all cylinders this weekend with 379 total yards to go along with their 47 points to open up the season.

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Along with being a force on the field in the interior of Carolina’s defensive line, Brown was also named a captain for the first time of his career heading into the season. Wearing the ‘C’ on his jersey for the first time on Sunday along with quarterback Bryce Young, safety/special teams ace Sam Franklin, and linebacker Shaq Thompson.

“Ever since I’ve been here, I’ve always looked at Shaq as the captain. So to see my face next to his, I mean it’s pretty awesome,” Brown said.

Brown is the Panthers’ best defensive player and potentially best overall player on the entire roster. As people both inside and outside of Carolina’s building are hoping for positive news following his surgery, a speedy recovery, and a chance that he could potentially return to the field this season.