Vincent Brown is a name that probably very few casual NFL viewers remember. Some Los Angeles Chargers fans might remember, but he’s still a name that has mostly fallen to the wayside due to not making a huge impact in his career. A former third-round wide receiver, Brown didn’t really ever put up huge stats but he was a promising receiver at one time and still played his role well. Let’s take a look back at the career of this receiver who has become forgotten and even underappreciated.

Vincent Brown: Underappreciated Los Angeles Chargers Players

Nice Rookie Season

Brown was drafted by the Chargers in 2011. He didn’t end up making his way to the field until Week 3; his first catches came a week later. He didn’t make much of an impression until Week 9 when he pulled in four catches for 79 yards. However, his real “breakout game” came just a few days later on Thursday Night Football against the Oakland Raiders.

In that game, he had five catches for 97 yards and his first career touchdown. That touchdown was impressive too, as he went up for that ball and “Mossed” the defenders even with double coverage. This was in contrast to the other Chargers receiver named “Vincent” at the time – Vincent Jackson – who was much better on average, but that evening had just one catch and on a similar throw, just did not go up for the ball and caused Philip Rivers to get intercepted.

He finished with 19 catches for 329 yards and two touchdowns in 2011, and one more game with 50+ yards. Nothing special, but he looked very promising.

2012-2013

Brown kicked off 2012 with a great start to the preseason. He pulled in six catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns in two games. Unfortunately, on the second touchdown, he broke his ankle and ended up missing the entire regular season.

In 2013 when he came back, he ended up lower on the depth chart due to the breakouts of Keenan Allen and Eddie Royal. He did start the season off nicely by catching a ten-yard touchdown in the first game of the season. However, it did become clear eventually that he wasn’t the same big-play guy before perhaps due to the injury. He still was a generally good #3 receiver to have that got a little overshadowed by Allen, Royal, Antonio Gates, and even Ladarius Green. He even had his first (and only) 100-yard game in Week 5 when he brought in seven catches for 117 yards. Brown finished the year with 41 catches for 472 yards and the one touchdown.

Farewell, a Brief Return, and Farewell Again

Brown would’ve been pushed to fourth on the depth chart in 2014 with the return of Malcom Floyd from injury. However, he got injured himself again. He was briefly put on injured reserve towards the end of the preseason before being waived with an injury settlement. Not too long after he signed with the Raiders and spent the rest of the season there. He signed with the Indianapolis Colts in 2015 but was waived in final season cuts.

However, in late 2015 the Chargers receiver corps were decimated by injuries. At that point, they had receivers starting who had just been on the practice squad. So in December, the Chargers brought back Brown. He only made one catch, but it was a good one. In Week 14 against the Kansas City Chiefs in the final seconds down 10-3, he caught a 22-yard pass on fourth down to put the team at the one-yard line. They failed to convert, but he put them in a good position to tie that game up.

Despite the familiarity with Rivers and the offense, Brown oddly never became a big target during those few weeks. He was actually cut before Week 17. That ended up being Brown’s last snaps in the NFL, as he signed with the New Orleans Saints in 2016 but was cut in July after a failed physical.

Last Word

Vincent Brown never really became the big weapon that it seemed like he might be, probably due to his various injuries. However, he was still a good third or fourth receiver to have. He played his role well and was well-liked early on in his career by Chargers fans, but has become forgotten since his decline and eventual departure. Given that he was still a good role player in the Chargers offense that made the playoffs in 2013, he’s still worth remembering.

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