Duane Brown says he’s ‘grateful’ to be able to suit up for Week 1 vs. Bills

The Jets recently got the foundation of their offensive line back after the veteran of the group began practicing once again.

Left tackle Duane Brown was activated off the physically unable to perform list on Aug. 24 after he was cleared to practice following offseason shoulder surgery. Ahead of Monday’s night game against the Bills, Brown ramped up his work and conditioning, hoping to be ready to patrol Aaron Rodgers’ blindside.

Now Brown is all systems go as he will play in his first game since the Jets’ New Year’s Day loss to the Seahawks last season.

“I feel good, the last few weeks have been great and I got a lot of great work in,” Brown told the Daily News. “Been able to get some good work in against our D-Line.

“We got so many good players that give me a lot of different looks and made me compete, made me really test myself to battle, to win the reps. They bring me up to speed really quickly.

“The O-Line has been getting me up to speed with the communication and the calls and the new offense. It’s been going great.”

Brown has dealt with a ton of adversity since he signed with the Jets last year. Just weeks after he signed with Gang Green, Brown tore his rotator cuff and missed the season’s first four weeks.

Brown eventually returned, but he played last season basically on one shoulder. He only allowed one sack in 12 games for the Jets. Once the Jets were officially eliminated, Brown sat for the season finale against the Dolphins as he and the team knew he would need offseason shoulder surgery.

Brown could have opted for rotator cuff surgery then, but that would have prematurely ended his season. Despite being at an age where many would consider retirement coming off a significant injury, Brown, 38, knew he would return for his 17th season even before the Jets traded for Rodgers.

“Duane has been doing this a long time and he’s fun because he loves football,” Jets offensive line coach Keith Carter said. “He doesn’t do this because he has to, he does this because he loves ball.

“He brings an energy, he’s been through everything we’ve gone through so far this offseason, whether it is shuffling people around or whatever. He’s been through all of this before. He just brings kind of that maturity and that passion for the game that’s infectious that rubs off on the guys.”

Brown and the Jets will begin the 2023 season against a Bills team that’s won the AFC East division three years in a row. With the addition of Rodgers, many pundits believe the Jets have a good enough roster to not only win the division for the first time since 2002 but possibly contend for a Super Bowl title.

Meanwhile, Brown said he isn’t paying attention to the outside chatter and expectations. He is just grateful to be back out there with his teammates as he and his teammates hope to continue to get better every single day.

“I’m just grateful, man,” Brown said. It’s been a long offseason, it’s been a long process getting the surgery, rehabbing it, the shape that I’ve been able to get in. I didn’t know quite what that was going to look like, didn’t know quite if I would be ready to go Week 1, so I’m just grateful to be out here with my guys. Able to contribute, able to go out and compete. I know the opponent that we got coming here, I gotta bring the best version of myself for us to succeed.”

FULL PARTICIPANTS

A day after he missed practice due to an illness, Jets right tackle Mekhi Becton returned to practice Saturday morning. Becton, along with Brown and running back Breece Hall, were all full participants. Brown (shoulder) and Hall (knee) were limited during Thursday’s and Friday’s practice.

Cornerback Michael Carter II is also listed on the injury report, but he was a full participant as well.