So, they let Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley write an article for MMQB. In it, he talks extensively about the neck injury he suffered against the Cleveland Browns.
That injury caused Finley to lose feeling in his extremities and kept him in the hospital for several days following the game. Still, Finley says he’s going to play football again.
Of course I plan to play football again. This is what I love to do. I love the game. I love Sundays. Based on the feedback I’ve received from doctors at this point, the question is not if I’ll play again, but when. There is no better feeling in the world than making the “Lambeau Leap” into the stands, and I fully intend on having that surreal feeling again soon. I will do everything in my power to rehab and get back to the player I have been, and improve into the player I know I can be.
The real question is if Finley will play again this season. The Packers are taking a wait and see approach, but they’ve been particularly cautious with neck injuries in the past.
See Nick Collins, who was released and forced to retire after suffering a similar injury.
Perhaps the most chilling part of what Finley wrote is his account of what happened directly after the hit.
After I got hit, in the fourth quarter of our win against the Browns last week, my eyes were wide open. I was very conscious, but I could not move. I looked my teammate Andrew Quarless directly in the eye and whispered, “Help me, Q. I can’t move; I can’t breathe.” The scariest moment was seeing the fear in Q’s eyes. I knew something was wrong, but his reaction verified it. That really shook me up.
Our bet is Finley doesn’t return this season, which leaves his future with the Packers in doubt. This is the final year of Finley’s contract with Green Bay.
Will the Packers, or anyone else, want to take a risk on a guy with a serious neck injury? Maybe with a non-guaranteed deal.