Don't Let a Little Torn ACL Hold You Back

[56AceInDaPlace 110]

Significant medical advances have improved players' chances of recovering from a torn ACL... Less than a year after his major injury on Christmas Eve 2011, Adrian Peterson turned in a remarkable performance this season, posting the 2nd-highest total of rushing yards in a single NFL season (2,097)... Patriots receiver Wes Welker, running in the open field against the Texans when he blew his knee out in Week 17 of the 2009 season in early January 2010, has come back at full strength, leading the NFL in total receptions over the past 3 seasons while making the Pro Bowl each year... Welker's batterymate, Tom Brady, has made a full recovery after tearing both his ACL and MCL in the opening quarter of the Patriots' 1st game of the 2008 season against the Chiefs. Since his return in 2009, Brady has not missed a beat: he's started all 64 games, posted a 49-15 record, led the Pats to 4 AFC East titles in 4 Pro Bowl seasons, and thrown for exactly 100 more touchdown passes than interceptions (137-37)... In January of 2008 on that same Foxboro turf in the AFC Championship game, Chargers QB Philip Rivers suffered a torn ACL, but played through the injury before San Diego came up just a little short. Rivers has been a fantasy machine in the 5 years since, throwing for more than 21,000 yards and 145 TD's while making the Pro Bowl 3 times... And Raiders QB Carson Palmer -- then with the Bengals -- made the Pro Bowl in the 2006 season after suffering an ugly knee injury on his 1st pass attempt in Cincinnati's Wild Card playoff loss to the Steelers in early January of that same year.

 

Lets look at some names in recent years who have had ACL injury and have come back just fine.

 

Adrian Peterson

Wes Welker

Tom Brady

Jamal Charles

Philip Rivers

Carson Palmer

 

Now I know Rivers and Palmer haven't done well in years. But when they did come back they played just fine. AP did it last year and Charles too if im not mistaken. I don't remember if it was last year or the year before when Charles got hurt. It seems ACL injuries aren't as serious anymore due to modern technology and medical advances we have in todays world. That said, how do you feel about ACL injuries? Do you think they aren't as serious as they once were? What's your take on these players coming back from horrible injuries and hitting stride right where they left off at?

[NaTaS+ 958]

It's amazing how far medical science has come. Tearing your ACL isn't what it used to be. It'll be interesting to see how RGIII reacts to tearing his twice. I'm hoping for good results.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

Isn't NFL related, but I'm still waiting on Derrick Rose. I really hope he does come back even better then before.

 

It really is amazing though how these guys are coming back and are picking up right where they left off. I really thought it was over for Charles. I knew AP would come back to form eventually, but Charles being that his quickness and burst is such a huge part of his game, I thought he might never come back.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Take Carson Palmer and Phillip Rivers off that list immediately.

 

Anyhow, Natas is right. It isn't exactly the same career altering injury as it has been in the past. Wonders of science, am I right?

 

However, everyone's bodies still react differently. So just because somebody has an injury like this, I wouldn't completely expect them to return to form. More will, for sure... but some will still suffer long term.

[WolfePack 0]

All the QBs on that list are not mobile Qbs who relied on their ability to scramble around to make plays. Also this RG3 second ACL injury on that knee. I think he will be fine to come back, but if he tears his ACL again his career is over.

[oochymp 2,393]

It'll be interesting to see how RGIII reacts to tearing his twice. I'm hoping for good results.

this is what concerns me, I can't imagine any advances in medicine will make for a perfect recovery when you repair an already repaired knee, I do think he'll have to change his style a little bit, and maybe Shanahan can reduce the frequency of those read option plays, maybe the real reason the read option has never caught on in the NFL is that NFL teams actually care that their QBs to last more than 4 years

[56AceInDaPlace 110]

maybe the real reason the read option has never caught on in the NFL is that NFL teams actually care that their QBs to last more than 4 years

 

Exactly. NFL players get paid money, college students do too but aren't supposed too lol. For real though, QB in the NFL is the biggest money position. So it wouldn't do any good to run that offense when your paying him a shit load of money. Not to mention the injuries that would happen. You would have to keep like 5-6 QB's on the roster to run that. :grinno:

 

Dmac im sure he will be fine. One NFL player still struggling a bit is Kenny Britt. Hes been slow so I know what Favre means on thinking everyone will come back ok.

[BradyFan81 404]

Honestly I don't think it's going to affect him at all. He'll come back and be the same guy. The only concern is there's a greater risk he can injure it again cause he's already done it twice, but in terms of his actual play it will be a complete nonfactor. 5 years from now we'll forget it even happened.

Edited January 10, 2013 by BradyFan81

[OSUViking 505]

I think if you have the mullah to have some nice treatment, it will be a nice recovery for you. That being said, I have reservations on whether the average household would be able to afford such treatment. Are there figures to how much the treatment and recovery programs for these stars cost?

[Duck Fallas 209]

I think that it is still a pretty serious injury for guys who rely on their speed and mobility to make their money. AP is a freakish abberation with his lightning fast recovery. I personally think that he is a demigod. There is really no other explanation for his recovery.

[CampinWithaMissingPerson 2,025]

I think that it is still a pretty serious injury for guys who rely on their speed and mobility to make their money. AP is a freakish abberation with his lightning fast recovery. I personally think that he is a demigod. There is really no other explanation for his recovery.

 

Bath Salts.

[Thanatos 2,847]

You can add Thomas Davis to the list as well.

[Vin+ 3,121]

It's about RG3, but it kinda pertains to this thread.

 

Although Dr. James Andrews estimates that "95 percent" of ACL reconstructive procedures are successful in sports, he sets the number closer to 55 percent among NFL running backs.

 

Obviously Robert Griffin III isn't a running back, but the Redskins' 2012 pistol-based offense was built on his ability to get out of the pocket and make plays on the run. "So is that a failure of the ACL surgery? No, but that's a failure of that running back losing a step and losing ability to cut on a dime and is not able to play," explained Andrews. "So it's not as rosy as what it might look depending on the high level sport the further you go up the ladder, to try to play football, for example, in the professional league after an ACL operation."

 

Source: Profootballtalk.com on NBC Sports