How is Merriman doing?

[cksteele79]

i heard he switched to gieco and saved a lot of money so he is doing awesome

[dddaryl]

didnt he have a tipped pass that was almost an interception monday? i think on the highlight reel they show him getting pressure then tipping the ball almost to himself on a screen pass.

Yes he did and it was a good one..


He missed some of OTA's waiting to be cleared and I'm sure the Bills are not rushing him with lots of reps..

[Shaw66]

One thing the study mentioned is there's so little data on NFL players because you're talking about a very small group of extremely elite athletes who play a sport that relies heavily on the Achilles for push-off and explosiveness. Most people who have the surgery return to normal, but that normal is a far distance from NFL "normal." For the players who don't return to their pre-surgery performance level, is it because they came back too early? Is it because of the rehab protocol? Or is it because their post-op Achilles simply won't allow them to perform at that level again?

My understanding is that for this surgery, essentially total recovery is a reasonable goal. I think it's the guys who have had true reconstructive surgery, where the Achilles separates from the bone, where there recovery typically leaves them something short of where they were pre-injury.

Both Kyle and Shawne have talked about it like they are as good now as they ever were.

[Magnum33]

My understanding is that for this surgery, essentially total recovery is a reasonable goal. I think it's the guys who have had true reconstructive surgery, where the Achilles separates from the bone, where there recovery typically leaves them something short of where they were pre-injury.

Both Kyle and Shawne have talked about it like they are as good now as they ever were.

I think I'm more excited for Williams coming back than I am Merriman. Don't get me wrong, Merriman would be huge, but a healthy Kyle Williams along side Marcell Dareus?? That give me chills just thinking about it.

[God Father]

I think I'm more excited for Williams coming back than I am Merriman. Don't get me wrong, Merriman would be huge, but a healthy Kyle Williams along side Marcell Dareus?? That give me chills just thinking about it.

Yeah but isn't it just amazing that at this point we don't have to choose between two pro bowl players coming back healthy? They both are! I want to see Merriman, Anderson, and Williams make Sanchez pee himself in week 1. I'm so excited!

[Magnum33]

Yeah but isn't it just amazing that at this point we don't have to choose between two pro bowl players coming back healthy? They both are! I want to see Merriman, Anderson, and Williams make Sanchez pee himself in week 1. I'm so excited!

I'm looking for 4 sacks in week 1. I don't care who they come from, I just want to the Jets try to fix the problem, and our crazy D-Line continue to cause the problems.

[bigbubba]

He had 12 would be sacks in practice.

[NOVABilliever]

He had 12 would be sacks in practice.

!? 12? What?

[Whitner]

After getting burned 2 years in a row, I'm not putting much stock in his "progress." Coaches and especially players put a positive spin on injuries/health, so you never know how bad it is till they're put on IR and you're like, whoah, didn't see that coming. All that matters is game day.

But I am curious about objective info on recovering from Achilles tendon surgery for athletes. In this article, a surgeon reports that high-level athletes generally benefit from the surgery and can return to full, aggressive play in 6 months. (It's been 7 months since Merriman's surgery.) This study from a couple years ago found that two-thirds of NFL players come back from an Achilles tendon rupture and those who do "find their performance significantly affected" (especially RBs and WRs). Merriman didn't rupture his tendon and there have been advances in the last couple years, but the study does suggest that the full post-surgery recovery time for an NFL player might be longer (11 months) than the generally accepted 4-6 months (again, that's for ruptures...partial tears have a shorter recovery time).

Interestingly, the study notes that NFL players coming back from Achilles surgery traditionally have followed an "overly conservative treatment protocol" that may have limited their full recovery. Newer research has pushed more, earlier weight-bearing activities and intensive strength training, so Merriman's recovery could be faster/stronger based on this revised rehab protocol.

good post thanks!, I hope he can play healhty again for him and for the Bills

[GreggTX]

He's not taking snaps off. I know the pads aren't on, but that's more than he was able to do last year at this time.