This is only part of the news. Welker was also seen running routes and participating in cone drills. While he was not quite the speed he had been in the past, he was doing things utilizing the same range of motion as he normally would.This has prompted some folks to now think that Welker will start the year on the active roster and not on the PUP as had been speculated for months.
If he can do this without risking further injury, good luck to him. I love the drive, but he needs to take care of himself...he is not a "bubble" player. I know this will draw "who made you Doc Andrews comments", but I am about to undergo my second ACL surgery (same knee). First time, the team doc (eventual one) for the NY Giants did it; I happen to be fortunate enough to have the former team doc for the Carolina Hurricanes doing my next one (so this should debunk the myth of better care for professional athletes). The guy that is doing mine actually was in the practice in NY when I had mine done the first time (wicked coincidence) and he told me that the recovery today is much less than when I had mine first done (no contact for first 8 months). The general "contact" rule today is roughly five months, but that also may include cutting (I do not know as I play ice hockey and it is different than a "planting sport" such as football). I am not an athlete today (was a college hockey player first time around and all i did was go to class and rehab), but I still think he is pushing it a little too much. Note: There is also a "myth" out there that once you have an ACL done (they replace it with a cadaver's achilles tendon) that the repaired knee is stronger than the other. Let me be the first to say that IN MY CASE, this could be nothing further from the truth. In fact, the second time it happened (about 3 weeks ago), I didn't get hit or catch an edge...it just collapsed like a piece of rotted wood. I did not even fall this time (first time felt like a sniper from the stands got me) and I played the rest of the game without thinking twice about it. Again, this is all anectdotal, but i find it interesting that a guy like Jamal Lewis blew out knees like it was going out of style (and now me too) and I am going to be confident about Welker going forward?? Personally from a fantasy standpoint, I will pass. For the past 18 years, my knee has never been "right"...OK, but NOT like the uninjured one. I like Welker (hard to admit as a Jets fan that he is Chrebet with skills), but for his sake, I hope he pulls it back a notch.
I am not a doctor and generally adhere to the "I'll believe it when I see it" approach. But in this case the fact that Welker is doing things with the team would be indicative of him being ahead of schedule. He had to get medical clearance to practice, so I'm guessing if he were really risky at this point they would not have allowed him to suit up.
Again, I am not saying player X can't do what player Y can, but you have to look at the pros and cons from the doctor's standpoint. It is a crass comparison, but look at "Every Given Sunday". One doc says "these guys want to play, they will be fine"...the other is concerned for the player. Of course on the surface, this is silly; but it does reflect the reality that the doctor has/can have ulterior motives. In this case, he may need to get Welker back on the field. If there is a 80% chance he will be fine, he will play the odds. If he is conservative, and the Pats lose their first 3 of 4 games, all the while Welker is chomping on the bit, it will not look good on said doctor.Doctors are people, with real-life issues/concerns. We tend to put them on a pedistal, but the truth is they make mistakes and have their own motives (either good or bad). Personally, I always took a docs word as gospel, but until I married my wife (whose father is a doctor), I never trully realized how much they do is both volume (work patients in and out) and guess work. The reality is there are probably 30 great orthopedic doctors who would give their left nut to be the Pats team doc. If Welker looks at Bellicheck and says "I am good to go" and Bellicheck replies to said doctor "he seems fine", as a doctor, who wants to keep his gig, what would you do?
The way Welker drives into hard cuts I can see him blowing out the knee again.
The way Welker drives into hard cuts I can see him blowing out the knee again.
Where does it say he's doing any cutting or anything remotely considered "pushing it"?I know this is anecdotal, but I had ACL surgery 3 months ago, and if I hadn't slacked off on my exercises the past 3 weeks I'd be running right now (probably be next week). I don't see any reason why an NFL player with constant access to trainers and exercise equipment for rehab (and getting paid to rehab, no less) wouldn't be running 4 months post-surgery. Any straight line movement (which a high knee bag drill is) shouldn't be a problem for him.
