RENTON — It’s been almost a year since Tre Brown saw his rookie season come to a devastating end, but the second-year Seahawks cornerback is eager to remind the world just how talented he is.
Last week, Brown returned to practice for the first time since he suffered a season-ending patellar tendon injury on Nov. 21, 2021, in a 23-13 Seahawks home loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
It was a crushing finish to a strong first year for the Seahawks fourth-round pick from Oklahoma, who had 10 tackles over his five games played and allowed just eight completions on 17 targets for 75 yards after taking over the starting cornerback spot from Sidney Jones IV.
But that strong start came crashing down when Brown’s knee gave out on the Lumen Field turf, the first long-term injury of Brown’s life.
“It was crazy,” Brown said. “I can’t even describe the feeling, and I know I just had a lot of emotions I was dealing with.”
At the start of his recovery process, Brown had to work hard just to regain his stride and run properly — a seemingly simple task made challenging by his surgically repaired knee.
“At times it was a little stressful, especially when you don’t know how everything was going,” Brown said. “And you can’t really see the light until you just start, you know, like taking it day by day, week by week and start seeing those things. But I’m feeling really good.”
Brown might get to make his return soon, as the Seahawks activated him as “Designated to Return” from the Physically Unable to Perform list on Oct. 26, giving them 21 days to add him to the active roster. He has been a “full go” in practice, head coach Pete Carroll said, so it’s possible he will return sooner than 21 days.
Things looked different for Seattle on defense when Brown last took the field. His closest mentor, Bobby Wagner, is now a member of the Los Angeles Rams, while fellow 2021 Seahawks starting cornerback D.J. Reed is a New York Jet, and Sidney Jones IV has since been waived by Seattle.
With Wagner gone, Brown has leaned on Seattle veterans like free safety Quandre Diggs and injured strong safety Jamal Adams for support as he gets set for his comeback.
All three have suffered injuries within the past year, and text each other often in a group message. Diggs dislocated his ankle and broke his fibula last year in Week 18 against Arizona, and Adams suffered a season-ending quad tendon tear in Seattle’s opener against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 12.
It’s a lively group chat, according to Brown, where they share thoughts with each other on topics of all kinds. Most important, it gives them a place to support each other.
“We are all rehabbing different things and just motivating each other and seeing where we can go and (Adams) was able to come back. I was able to come back, and Tre was still going through his ordeal, so we just motivated him to get back on the field, and I think it’ll be super, super cool,” Diggs said. “He was making lots and lots of plays last year before he went down, and he was one of those guys that came in, another young guy that I really didn’t have to worry about too much. He knew what he was supposed to do, and he was step kicking and locking guys out and doing his thing.
“So, I’m excited to see how he comes back, how he responds, but like I told him today, you take it day by day.”
To Brown, it means a lot that veterans like Brown and Adams have taken an interest in his career.
“Those guys saw the light in me, how well I played and knowing that I don’t even have it all figured out yet,” Brown said. “So just those guys seeing a lot in me, that means a lot knowing where they are in their careers.”
Star rookies Coby Bryant and Tariq Woolen and second-year Seahawk Michael Jackson have manned the starting cornerback spots for Seattle this season, but Brown will still have a chance to compete once he is ready to take the field.
Carroll and defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt haven’t forgotten the talent that Brown flashed in his brief rookie season.
“It was just good to see him out here on the grass,” Hurtt said. “I just want to see him continue to work his way back in. The guy has not played football in almost a year since his injury. There is no doubt that we are excited about his talent and his ability.
“We know that he is competitive, he’s tough, but I want to see him run around a little bit more and kind of get involved in things and get his feet wet because he has rust that he needs to knock off naturally. He’s still a young guy that’s developing.”
Hurtt was also excited to see the 25-year-old Brown on the field for his first day back, but like Diggs, cautioned him to not do too much too fast. The first few days were all about just finally getting back onto the field.
Brown knows that there is still a bit more work to do, but soon enough it might be his turn to shine once again.
“I’m so excited to see him back out here,” Carroll said. “Remember, when he left, he was playing darn good football. He had just started to make his impression about how he was really consistent, he was tough, and competitive on the ball. He was really consistent with the parts that I liked about him for a young guy.”