Merriman Decides to Play
San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman has decided to postpone the knee surgery that doctors have advised him to undergo immediately and try to play this season with two torn ligaments.
"I'm going to play," Merriman told the San Diego Union-Tribune in a text message. "I'll deal with it when it's time to get surgery."
Merriman had seen a series of specialists around the country and reportedly had been advised to undergo reconstructive surgery that would have sidelined him all season.
The University of Maryland product had said he has torn posterior cruciate and lateral collateral ligaments in his left knee and would be risking a more serious injury to the knee by continuing to play on it.
Merriman apparently hopes to postpone the surgery until after the season.
Chargers officials had said all along they were hopeful that Merriman would be available to play this season.
By Mark Maske |
August 27, 2008; 2:27 PM ET
| Category:
Chargers
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Posted by: thinker | August 27, 2008 3:12 PM
I couldn't agree more. The Chargers are poised to be a contending team for five years, not just this coming season. Shawne needs to take the season, tear it up in rehab and come back and rip off heads in '09-'10. He is going to struggle without a stable knee and will probably have to have the surgery before season's end anyway--hopefully not on a career-ending knee.
Posted by: Skins fan in San Diego | August 27, 2008 3:36 PM
This is crazy dumb, the definition of headstrong. I hope he has an agent that can talk some sense into him for his sake- I doubt it though.
Merriman is not only going to be on a bum bender, but he's gotta realize opponents are going to target him and his knee. What a Dagger.
He's an animal on the field, but seems to be a heck of a dude off of it.
Posted by: WaPoLiveFan16 | August 27, 2008 4:20 PM
I figured it out. I saw on TV that Merriman is a Free Agent in the next year or two and the Chargers already have his replacement because they believe they will not be able to re-sign him. So they want to get whatever they can out of him since they're losing him anyway.
The real crazy thing is that Merriman could have had the surgery 6-7 months ago and be almost recovered by now. So not having the surgery when he first found out about the first ligament tear was the most stupid thing he did.
Posted by: thinker | August 27, 2008 7:42 PM
Maybe there is a link between football and brain damage.
As a die-hard fan, I appreciate Merriman's desire to play hurt. I also think the team has a responsibility to protect the health and welfare of the players.
If the team doctors say he should have the surgery and not play this year, the team needs to make the hard decision:
Put him on the IR before he can damage his knee beyond repair. We all would prefer losing Merriman for one year instead of forever. Get it fixed and turn him loose on the league in '09.
Posted by: BoltsFan | August 28, 2008 10:43 AM
The comments to this entry are closed.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. If I'm the Chargers I don't clear him to play and force him to get the surgery. An unstable knee is about 1000% more likely to have a catastrophic career ending injury. Stupip.