Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Brandon Brooks left Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks in the first quarter, over what was characterized originally as an “illness.” However, Brooks revealed Monday he left the game because of his ongoing battle with anxiety. Eagles coach Doug Pederson said after the game that Brooks’ exit was “connected” with his anxiety and vowed to help him.
Brooks opened up about his struggles in a statement posted onto Twitter, writing: “I’d like to address what happened yesterday. 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 setback 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.”
Philadelphia signed Brooks to a five-year deal in 2016 and then extended him earlier this month to a four-year deal. Brooks was diagnosed with stress-related anxiety in 2016 and has missed a total of five games in his career because of it.
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