Injured Players taking longer to "heal"? (1 Viewer)

Where have you gone, Jack Youngblood? Or Ronnie Lott?

Is it just me or does it seem like players are taking a lot longer to return from injuries than normal this season? Players like SJax, Maroney, Andre Johnson, Boldin and Walker all seem to be taking longer to return than most people thought they would. And when I say most people, I don't mean fantasy owners who have them all on multiple teams, like myself. I mean media members and others that report and sometimes speculate on injuries and the times it takes to heal. These folks have been doing it for years and it seems like they would have a decent idea how long it should take for a player to come back. So the question I have is which of two things is happening?

A) Teams are underplaying, if not outright lying, about the seriousness of the injury, which throws off anyone trying to guess when the player will return.

B) The players are being much more careful/have a lower pain threshold than in the past

There were two different players listed above, Maroney and Johnson, IIRC, that are quoted in other threads here about how they don't want to come back early and no one knows when I'm ready better than me and things like that.

What is going on here?

More players are getting hurt because they are all wound too tight now.

ConstruxBoy said:

Where have you gone, Jack Youngblood? Or Ronnie Lott?Is it just me or does it seem like players are taking a lot longer to return from injuries than normal this season? Players like SJax, Maroney, Andre Johnson, Boldin and Walker all seem to be taking longer to return than most people thought they would. And when I say most people, I don't mean fantasy owners who have them all on multiple teams, like myself. I mean media members and others that report and sometimes speculate on injuries and the times it takes to heal. These folks have been doing it for years and it seems like they would have a decent idea how long it should take for a player to come back. So the question I have is which of two things is happening?A) Teams are underplaying, if not outright lying, about the seriousness of the injury, which throws off anyone trying to guess when the player will return.B) The players are being much more careful/have a lower pain threshold than in the pastThere were two different players listed above, Maroney and Johnson, IIRC, that are quoted in other threads here about how they don't want to come back early and no one knows when I'm ready better than me and things like that. What is going on here?

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Why play hurt when you're making that kinda money ?

Sheriff66 said:

ConstruxBoy said:

Where have you gone, Jack Youngblood? Or Ronnie Lott?Is it just me or does it seem like players are taking a lot longer to return from injuries than normal this season? Players like SJax, Maroney, Andre Johnson, Boldin and Walker all seem to be taking longer to return than most people thought they would. And when I say most people, I don't mean fantasy owners who have them all on multiple teams, like myself. I mean media members and others that report and sometimes speculate on injuries and the times it takes to heal. These folks have been doing it for years and it seems like they would have a decent idea how long it should take for a player to come back. So the question I have is which of two things is happening?A) Teams are underplaying, if not outright lying, about the seriousness of the injury, which throws off anyone trying to guess when the player will return.B) The players are being much more careful/have a lower pain threshold than in the pastThere were two different players listed above, Maroney and Johnson, IIRC, that are quoted in other threads here about how they don't want to come back early and no one knows when I'm ready better than me and things like that. What is going on here?

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Why play hurt when you're making that kinda money ?

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Good point and that was a thought. But what does the team gain by that?

c) hgh is drying up b/c of the recent busts.

ConstruxBoy said:

Sheriff66 said:

ConstruxBoy said:

Where have you gone, Jack Youngblood? Or Ronnie Lott?Is it just me or does it seem like players are taking a lot longer to return from injuries than normal this season? Players like SJax, Maroney, Andre Johnson, Boldin and Walker all seem to be taking longer to return than most people thought they would. And when I say most people, I don't mean fantasy owners who have them all on multiple teams, like myself. I mean media members and others that report and sometimes speculate on injuries and the times it takes to heal. These folks have been doing it for years and it seems like they would have a decent idea how long it should take for a player to come back. So the question I have is which of two things is happening?A) Teams are underplaying, if not outright lying, about the seriousness of the injury, which throws off anyone trying to guess when the player will return.B) The players are being much more careful/have a lower pain threshold than in the pastThere were two different players listed above, Maroney and Johnson, IIRC, that are quoted in other threads here about how they don't want to come back early and no one knows when I'm ready better than me and things like that. What is going on here?

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Why play hurt when you're making that kinda money ?

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Good point and that was a thought. But what does the team gain by that?

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Nothing, but players today don't care about the team as much as in the old days. Youngblood had to get out on the field to support himself and his family, a lot of these guys today can do that after the draft without playing a down of football.

The players have wised up. Good for them.

Another reason is speed of the game, players are much bigger and stronger today, and the collisions are much more violent = more injuries

Drugs?

I think players are less inclined to do "whatever it takes" to get back on the field with all the suspensions flying around. Didn't you find it odd how pro athletes always seem to be on the short end of recovery times even though they have such physically demanding jobs? Seems like you would be on the long end if you needed to be at or near 100% before returning to work. I am positive Steroids and HGH had a little something to do with a lot of the quick turnarounds we used to see.

In the case, of Andre Johnson, it is A. Houston has its short term has put happy faces on Boselli, Dom DavisNowWilliams, Charles spencer and now Andre Johnson among the more notables.

munga30 said:

c) hgh is drying up b/c of the recent busts.

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I agree, and you could really see the trend in baseball this year. more injuries than ever

FavreCo said:

More players are getting hurt because they are all wound too tight now.

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I think there is a truth to this. Not only are players more likely to strain tendons and ligaments when they by nature of their size place an amount of stress on them they aren't naturally designed to support, but also as these body fat %'s get lower and lower, the body is less able to absorb hits.

ConstruxBoy said:

A) Teams are underplaying, if not outright lying, about the seriousness of the injury, which throws off anyone trying to guess when the player will return.

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I'm convinced that this is the answer. In the NFL teams copy that which is successful. Who's the most successfull coach in the league? Who's the least forth coming coach in the league?signed,worried marvin harrison owner

FavreCo said:

More players are getting hurt because they are all wound too tight now.

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Or they can't get GH like they use to...EDIT: did't see the hgh post.

seatownfavorite said:

Drugs? I think players are less inclined to do "whatever it takes" to get back on the field with all the suspensions flying around. Didn't you find it odd how pro athletes always seem to be on the short end of recovery times even though they have such physically demanding jobs? Seems like you would be on the long end if you needed to be at or near 100% before returning to work. I am positive Steroids and HGH had a little something to do with a lot of the quick turnarounds we used to see.

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Hell yeah it does!!!Now that Selig and Stern has pissed off the Gov't by saying that there's no problem with drugs/cheating, they have decided to expose the whole system, and the players are running scared cuz they can get their "quick health fix" like they use to!In a couple of years watch the massive turnover of "veteran" players. Gone are the days of +5 year veterans...

Thanks for all the great responses. Likely a mix of the answers, but I really hadn't thought of the hgh angle and that makes a lot of sense.

As the game evolves so do the players in it. The average player per position increases in speed, strength and size.

Harder impacts naturally make for more injuries.

I will say THIS year has just been unfortunate that alot of players have had the lingering injuries in groins and hammys .

Maybe stretching should be emphasized more league wide.