Philadelphia Eagles right guard Brandon Brooks was forced to exit Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks due to an illness brought about by anxiety.
Brooks explained that he typically experiences morning vomit on game days, but that unlike normal the anxiety-induced illness hit him hard once the game began.
“I’d like to address what happened yesterday,” he wrote on Twitter. “I woke up, and did my typical routine of morning vomiting. It didn’t go away like it normally does, but I figured it would calm down once I got to the stadium. It did, but I felt exhausted. The nausea came back, and I tried to battle through it and went out for the first drive. The nausea and vomiting came back until I left the field, and tried everything I could to get back for my teammates but just wasn’t able to do it.
“Make no mistake, I’m NOT ashamed or embarrassed by this nor what I go through daily. I’ve had this under control for a couple of years, and had a set back yesterday. The only thing I’m upset about is that when my team needed me, I wasn’t able to be out there with and for them. Lastly, I appreciate the support of my coaches, teammates and fans. It doesn’t go unnoticed.”
Brooks has been courageously open about discussing the anxiety that he deals with. ESPN noted that Brooks had previously been unable to play five games in the past due to the anxiety he experiences.
The team is extremely supportive of Brooks as he battles anxiety. On Monday morning, head coach Doug Pederson backed him in a big way during an appearance with 94WIP.
“Listen, this is a real-life issue,” Pederson said. “This is not a football issue with Brandon. This is a real-life issue that he has come out and publicly acknowledged and kind of shared his story a few years back. It’s something that he’s dealing with each and every day of his life. You never really know what triggers it. We’re here to support him, we love him.”
Brooks is one of the NFL’s best guards. He was recently signed to a record-breaking extension at his position.