Quote:
Originally Posted by duncan_idaho
The sample size of players who have torn this tendon is not large enough to do a lot of comparisons by age, but this has been a devastating injury for players - whether they’re on their first deal, or second deal, or into their 30s.
Jack Conklin tore his patellar tendon in 2021, at the beginning of his 2nd contract. He came back the next year, played below his standards, and then blew out every ligament in his OTHER knee. That’s the most recent OL we have enough space for him to rehab from, that I can find (two more tore it last year, so we’ll see).
LeCharles Bentley, who was an all pro interior OL for the Saints, tore it and never made it back on the field. He was in year 2 or 3 of his rookie deal.
Ryan Williams of the Cardinals and Cadillac Williams of the Dolphins both tore it early in their careers and never were the same. Cadillac came back and was bad. Ryan never played again.
Greg Childs blew both patellar tendons in training camp before his rookie season and literally never got started.
Age really isn’t a differentiator on this one.
|
Conklin had his second and third highest pass pro grades of his career after he tore his patella.
Lecharles Bentley got a staph infection and almost died. The patella rupture happened during TC of his 5th season. The first under his second contract.
https://www.nfl.com/news/lecharles-b...p1000000229583
“ "The initial injury was just a basic patellar tendon rupture," recalled Bentley. "Routine. And as a football player, that's what you sign up for. You sign up to be hurt. That's the nature of the game."
Bentley figured he'd undergo surgery and be back on the field the next season. After all, he was just 26. His last game had been the Pro Bowl. His best years clearly lay ahead.
"Young, healthy, felt good about myself," Bentley said. "You move on. But it was the subsequent staph infection that was the true culprit, and why I wasn't able to continue."
Buckhalter had 3 career best years after the patella surgery and rehab in 2004 under Rick Burkholter.