Friday, July 8, 2011

Peyton Manning Rehab Complaint Most Likely Lockout Complant

Peyton Manning, star QB of the Indianapolis Colts, talked to the media at the Manning Passing Academy yesterday with some complaints about the current NFL labor situation.

Manning had neck surgery in May to relieve a bulging disc issue that was pressing against some nerves and causing pain.  It is supposedly unrelated to the surgery he had in 2010 when he also had some calcified disc material removed to alleviate pressure on some nerves. The two surgeries were in two different locations in his neck.





Manning implied at his Passing Academy that he was not comfortable with the progress he's made since the last surgery.  He isn't planning on working out at the camp, taking instead a highly cautious approach to his rehab.
"That's one thing these owners didn't take into account. You've got a guy rehabbing and you can't use your training room and can't use your trainer," Manning said. "When you find a good trainer and a good rehab guy that you like, it's a pretty special bond. These guys kind of know your body. So the fact that I haven't had access to my guys and I've been somewhat on my own, I've been extra cautious and extra slow and making sure we don't have any setbacks."

Manning makes it sound as if, once he had the surgery, he hasn't had any help with any rehab related to the injury.  That sounds pretty dubious, as Manning would never had had the surgery unless he felt confident that he would have the ability to recover in time for the season.

In 2010, he was working out within a week of his surgery and lifting weights within two weeks of the surgery.  Could it be that this surgery was actually a bigger issue?

I somehow doubt that.  Manning is highly secretive when it comes to personal matters, and he would never actively inform the media of an issue that may affect him during the season.

My feeling is that Manning is suffering more from the lockout in general and not being able to use the Colts facility and coaching staff. He's a creature of habit and not having access to his coaches is driving him crazy at this point so close to the season.  It would greatly surprise me if these neck issues caused any major issue down the road.

No comments: