A seventh-generation Ole Miss Rebel with Super Bowl bloodlines, Ben Brown fought back from an undrafted, injury-marred start to become New England's starting center.
Ben Brown's path to a starting NFL job wound through five different organizations before he found a home in New England. A four-year starter at Ole Miss whose draft stock cratered after a preseason biceps injury, Brown has since proven himself as a steady, extension-earning presence up front for the Patriots.
Path to the league
Brown started 40 consecutive games at Ole Miss from 2017 to 2021, moving from right guard to center full time in 2020, when he earned a spot on the Rimington Trophy watch list as one of the nation's top centers. He was commonly projected as a fifth or sixth-round pick, but a torn biceps late in his 2021 senior season caused him to go undrafted in 2022. He signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent that year.
Career highlights
After his biceps injury in Cincinnati's preseason, Brown moved through the Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders organizations on practice squads and brief active-roster stints. He is the seventh member of his family to play for Ole Miss, and his grandfather Allen Brown won Super Bowl I and II with the Green Bay Packers.
2025 season recap
Brown made his first career start in Week 6 with New England and has since become a mainstay along the Patriots' offensive line, playing 28 career games with 14 starts through 2025. His steady play was rewarded in December 2025 with a two-year, $6.6 million contract extension from New England.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Ben Brown (American football)
- Pro Football Reference: Ben Brown
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Center
- Group
- offense
- College
- Ole Miss
- Hometown
- Vicksburg, MS, USA
- Age
- 28
- Status
- active
Team
