Five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro offensive tackle Duane Brown was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday, July 9, for allegedly possessing a concealed weapon, according to TMZ.
At around 2 p.m. local time Brown was going through the TSA checkpoint at LAX’s terminal 6 when he was busted for having a gun inside his luggage. The gun wasn’t loaded.
Brown, who is currently a free agent, played for the Seattle Seahawks last season and started in 17 games. He posted $10,000 bond and was released from custody later in the evening.
He is due in Los Angeles Superior Court on Aug. 3 for a hearing on the charge, which is a misdemeanor.
Brown will likely get away from this unscathed with a simple fine. But this isn’t smart behavior.
Given the amount of gun-related deaths in this country already, is it a good idea to be traveling across state lines with a firearm? According to the Gun Violence Archive there have been 23,105 gun-related deaths already this year.
Did Brown think when the bag went through screening that a TSA agent wouldn’t notice it? If he’s carrying a gun, is it for protection? If so, why wasn’t it loaded? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose? If he’s worried about protection, couldn’t he hire security?
This society’s obsession with guns is strange and extremely dangerous. We need more stringent regulations and laws.
Brown, a Virginia Tech alum, spent his first 10 seasons with the Houston Texans before playing the last five with the Seahawks.
On the field it’s unlikely that this will prevent Brown from being picked up by some team prior to or during training camp next month. He hasn’t missed a game in the last two seasons and ranks seventh among offensive tackles in pass block win rate since 2018 (91.8%).
During his exit interview at the end of the season Brown expressed interest in remaining with the Seahawks.
“I think my season was okay, wasn’t at my healthiest throughout, but I finished on a strong note,” said Brown. “I plan on continue playing. When I signed my extension here, I said I wanted to retire here. I didn’t know what I’d feel like at 36. I didn’t know what I’d feel like finishing my 14th year. A lot of things to weigh out. I would love to stay here…everything is not in my control, but we’ll see how it plays out.”
Brown is 36 and would be playing in his 15th season at a position that is not kind on the body. So there are things that are indeed out of his control. One thing that was in his control though was attempting to board a plane with a weapon.
Seahawks general manager John Schneider kept his cards close to the vest when discussing a potential Brown deal in April.
“There’s a lot of very high-quality guys that are just out there right now that haven’t been able to find a specific market that they’re looking for,” Schneider said. “The last two years. I think guys have confidence in their abilities and they’re waiting for the right team at the right time. Guys that are really good with their money, and have made good money are waiting until training camp to see if anything happens with another club.”
Again, it’s unlikely Brown’s arrest and misdemeanor charge will impact his market, but it might delay things a bit.
