Happy weekend, everyone! I really appreciate the thoughtful questions this week. Would love to hear from you for future editions, so make sure you check out the contact information at the bottom of the page and send some more good ones my way!
We’ll start with some follow-up questions on Tom Brady’s health, hit on expectations for Julian Edelman’s return, Matthew Slater update, the downside of training at altitude, and finish up with a check-in on Gordon Hayward’s recovery progress. Let’s get to it.
Question on Brady, less on injuries more on the general impact of being hit. Aside from the obvious of a specific hit on a specific location, can you provide some detail on what is happening medically with these impacts and how it can affect performance? (Patriots Fan, @ButlerPick)
I don’t know if I have a very scientific answer to this one, Patriots Fan. You alluded to each hit being a risk for specific injuries - arm laceration, falling on a specific shoulder, possibly tweaking an ankle. Head injuries are always a concern with either one significant or multiple smaller hits. The majority of hits lead to bumps and bruises and those can certainly be painful and impact recovery week to week. I share Greg Bedard’s concern over the number of hits that Brady has seen so far this season, not because there is some additive effect of the hits, but more that each contact is a chance for a season-ending injury.
How long does it take a sore Achilles to heal? Is it possible to heal while playing? Or is that not realistic? (Robert Snell, @robertsnell7)
It depends on the type of injury. In most cases, the issue is Achilles tendonitis - a thickening of the tendon with inflammation of the tissues that surround it. Because the tendon has a poor blood supply (in everyone), it is notoriously slow to heal. Some patients respond well to 3-4 weeks of rest and physical therapy, some require immobilization and take months to recover. I take care of many athletes who are in the middle of their sports season or event training. It is very difficult to fully heal an Achilles injury while still playing, but in many cases, we can manage the injury until the season is over.
The most important thing to remember is that NFL athletes deal with an array of injuries throughout the season that don’t impact their ability to show up to practice every day and therefore we don’t know about them. By December, almost all of them are managing one injury or another. The injuries that we see reported are only the tip of the iceberg.
Jess, are we now talking about a potential rupture? Or do you think it is manageable enough, that it won't rupture? (Terri Bey, @GioPontiFan)
I am not worried about Tom Brady rupturing his Achilles. Is there a chance? Yes. But given how well he is moving, the fact that he has never been seen favoring that leg, and the fact that he plays the quarterback position, an Achilles tear is highly unlikely.
How much of an impact does age play on ACL tear recovery? Any reason not to expect Jules to be his usual self next season? (Dan Parker, @Fineparker89)
Return to play in the NFL after ACL reconstruction is impacted by multiple variables. In general, studies have shown return to play in approximately 65 percent of all NFL athletes. Quarterbacks and cornerbacks tend to return at higher rates than receivers and running backs. The more established years in the league, the more likely the athlete is to return to NFL play. However, although receivers and running backs have high rates of return to play, they tend to return at lower level of performance. On average, these athletes tend to see a 1/3 decrease in performance compared to pre-injury measurements.
Ok, there are the raw numbers but what does this mean for Julian Edelman? The data says that Edelman will most likely return to play. We know from experience that NFL athletes tend to perform at a lower level the first season after ACL reconstruction likely due to continued healing of the graft and accommodation to the athlete’s “new normal” knee. I do not think that Edelman’s age will affect the physical healing of his knee. I anticipate that he will return in time for training camp. I expect that next season he may not quite be the Edelman you’re used to seeing — production could be down a bit, similar to what we saw with Dion Lewis. But by 12-18 months post-surgery he should be approaching his pre-injury performance level. This is where age comes in: 18 months after his injury and ACL reconstruction, Edelman will be almost 33 years old.
Will he be able to get back to his previous level of play at the age of 33? I’m not sure, but I’ll ask you in return…
Will a 5’10” Kent State QB one day make it to the NFL as a wide receiver and become Tom Brady’s favorite target?
The dude is Relentless.
1) From what you know will Mathew Slater be able to return to the field this year, is this an injury he will deal with for the rest of the season?
2) Can training at altitude be bad for the human body ?
3) Should I get this mole checked? (Murph, @TMurph207)
- Matthew Slater had a significant hamstring injury in camp, returned to the field after 8 weeks, and unfortunately re-injured his hamstring in mid-November. He has been practicing in a limited capacity since last week. I suspect he’ll be back on the playing field in the next couple of weeks, unless the team decides it is best to reserve him for the post-season. Since he has already had a recurrence of the injury, he is at risk of re-injuring it at any point.
- Training at altitude stresses the human body. Some athletes acclimate quickly and others take longer. Altitude sickness is a risk for all athletes at altitude. No details have been released about David Andrews’ illness, but there is a chance it was altitude-related.
- Did you try to wash it with soap and water? I think it might just be some chocolate frosting left over from the best Thanksgiving (and birthday, and New Years….) dessert ever - chocolate cake!!