Arizona Cardinals receiver John Brown had a 2016 season to forget. Coming off a season in which he had more than 1,000 yards, his production fell off in 2016. He caught only 39 passes 517 yards and two touchdowns.

It was discovered he had sickle cell trait, which sapped his energy and caused leg pain. By the end of the year, he was able to contribute, but only about 25 snaps a game.

It turns out sickle cell trait wasn’t his only issue. He had a cyst on his spine that was discovered after the season, according to the official team site.

Once removed, “I was back to normal,” he said.

Hopefully, that is the case moving forward.

The cyst actually makes more sense of things. He dealt with leg pain last year. It seemed strange that sickle cell trait would cause so much trouble so quickly. Other players, like former teammate Jerraud Powers just finished an eight-year NFL career with the trait. He knew he had it a long time ago and it never hindered his playing the way Brown was held back last season.

His trait combined with the cyst made for a miserable year.

With his condition under control and the cyst removed, he should be poised for a big year.