New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett revealed a private conversation he had with David Andrews after hearing the news that the injured center would need shoulder surgery.
Andrews injured his shoulder in the Patriots’ Week 4 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Surgery would mean the end of Andrews’ season, and he had a hard time coming to terms with that early on. The Patriots’ offensive line has struggled this season, and Andrews was so tough that he considered delaying his surgery and playing injured.
However, Brissett helped talk the veteran offensive lineman down from that decision by encouraging him to err on the side of caution.
“It’s tough when a guy like that goes down, but he’s not going down with anything minor,” Brissett told reporters, per a team-provided video, as transcribed by NESN.com’s Adam London. “I talked to him this morning. He’s like, ‘I think I’m going to try (to play).’ I was like, ‘Dave. C’mon, man. As much as I would love you to.’”
The loss of Andrews is undoubtedly a big one for the offensive line. Yet, Brissett’s words were a strong reminder that sometimes life itself is bigger than the game of football.