Jermichael Finley Has Medical Clearance
Jermichael Finley finally got that news he’s been looking for for months. He’s been medically cleared to play football again, according to his agent.
Agent Blake Baratz tells PFT Live that Dr. Maroon has given Jermichael Finley full medical clearance.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) May 29, 2014
Dr. Maroon is the Pittsburgh-based surgeon who performed spinal fusion surgery on Finley last year. Now, just because he’s gotten that clearance doesn’t mean any team physicians have given him clearance.
That being said, there have been signs that Finley could well play this season.
The Green Bay Packers still have his locker intact in the locker room, even after giving away those of free agents Ryan Pickett and Johnny Jolly. Packers coach Mike McCarthy has said he’d like to have Finley back and the free agent tight end even made a stop in Green Bay, yesterday.
PFT also reported that he already has a visit lined up for tomorrow, although the team requested anonymity so we don’t know where. Speculation centers around the Patriots.
Finley visited Seattle when free agency began, but failed his physical with the Seahawks.
Although he’s said he wants to play, Finley does have the option of calling it a career. He’s said to have an insurance policy that will pay him if he deems it too dangerous to continue playing football.
Our guess is he’ll play if he gets the chance. The question now is who, if anyone, will give him that chance.
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Yeah, big difference between his own surgeon saying it is okay, and a team doctor giving him the go ahead knowing the liability the team might face if paralyzation occurred.
All signs from the Packers do point to a continued interest, however, as much as that annoys me.
I really hope the packers resign Finley. The guy is way too talented to let go to a different team. Who cares that the guy doesn’t know how to keep his mouth shut, I’ll put up with it for all that talent
It’s just this easy. Finley’s career average numbers (emphasis on AVERAGE).
Games per season – 12
Rec per season – 35
Yds per season – 455
TD’s per season – 4
The numbers don’t lie.
Here’s the further breakdown – He’s had six good games in his entire career with the Packers. If you count all of his 100 yard receiving games and multiple TD games as good games (we really don’t need to bring up blocking, do we?), it’s six – that’s it. Out of a possbile 80+ games, he’s had 6 good ones, or less than 5% of the total time he might have been available. And that warrants a contract in excess of $8MM per year because of…?
100 Yard Games
2008 – None
2009 – Vikings 6/7 128 yds 1 TD
Cards 6/9 159 yds 0 TD
2010 – Bills 4/6 103 yds 0 TD
Bears 9/9 115 yds 0 TD
2011 – None
2012 – None
Multiple TD Games
2008 – None
2009 – Ravens 7/8 79 yds 2 TD
2010 – None
2011 – Bears 7/8 85 yds 3 TD
2012 – None
Truth is, the guy is a decidedly average TE but thinks he deserves exceptional pay. I leave it up to y’all to reach your own conclusions.
Yep. Agree on that one.
Only a very desperate team could offer him the 8M he thinks he is worth.
*cough* HATE HATE HATE *cough*
Thank you. I will copy and re-post this as my rebuttal to those who ignorantly believe he’s worth the trouble. Good research, I love it!
Great, I hope someone signs him. But not us. I don’t think it’s worth giving him a huge contract to bring him back now that we have Colt Lyerla who, by the way, looks like he has really turned over a new leaf and is solely focused on football.
http://www.packers.com/media-center/videos/Colt-Lyerlas-past-is-in-the-past/af96dcd2-7943-4577-8649-4e3a96ddd213
“Jermichael Finley Has Medical Clearance”
This is not information.
This is smokescreen bullshit.
When/if he gets signed: that will be a story.
…
I’m disappointed that TP didn’t uncover a much more important nugget in today’s circus: the Packers are cutting down on their defensive complexity.
I think that’s the most encouraging thing I’ve heard, maybe in years.
1) We’ve got two superstars on the books. That’s pricey.
2) Free Agency is a rip-off. If you get a list of all the free agents and look at their performance over a season, their stats are not 8, 10, or 12 times as great as other players — however, their salaries sure as hell are. While some free agents can be fantastic, most are slightly above average. When you’ve got superstars on the ledger already, it doesn’t make sense to go FA.
3) Ted eschews FA. Ted also knows the game is brutal. Pretty much any time in the NFL distances a player from his most uninjured past and the peak of his athletic prowess and ability to recover. Ted keeps the roster young. IMO, in order to make this a competitive advantage, these young guys have to PLAY. While in a perfect world it would be great to give them a red-shirt season, it doesn’t make sense financially to pay for four years and get only three years production.
If the defense becomes less complicated, there is a chance that the best athlete gets a chance to shine and play “fast” as contrasted to playing “slow” in a complicated scheme he’s not learned.
That said, I hope the organization makes strides in other areas, notably personnel placement — and gets Bradford at ILB before he burns out his hamstrings. IMO, the things Bradford did in college will not translate to the next level. I have a feeling he’ll look awkward at OLB just as Sherrod looked awkward at guard. I hope they don’t waste a training camp before it’s realized…
I thought it would be a slam dunk that Finley would retire and take the insurance policy payout. It seems clear there may be a second option with a bigger payout and It is not signing a one year contract for league minimum.
Now that Dr. MORON cleared Finley to play, Finley may have a better money payout for a malpractice suit than his current insurance payout when he is crippled for life. Finley may also be able to bring the dumbass team and doctor that may clear and sign him into the suit also to increase the payout.
Lets hope the team that may clear and sign Finley is not the Packers. If past history is any indication the Packers will be responsible enough to not clear Finley. This may save Finley from himself, his agent, and his doctor.
Finley’s a big boy. If the doctors explain the risks to him, and despite that he wants to play, he should play.
MY WORST NIGHTMARE IS COMING TRUE!!!
Kozak, agree that it is Finleys decision if he wants to play. It is also the Packers decision if they want to sign Finley and the Packers under no circumstances should sign Finley.
Remember Finley not only had the neck injury but also had two severe concussions last year. This is the making of a lawsuit that the Packers should avoid. Just look at all the former players who have received a payout for concussions when teams knowingly put them on the field. With the concussions and neck injury there is only one decision the Packers can make.
The one thing that makes no sense is why the Packers appear to be courting Finley. It may be possible that Finley has to perform due diligence in his attempts to get back on the field in order to get his insurance payout and the Packers are trying to help. Hopefully that help stops short of a signing.
Medically speaking Jolly is a lot lower risk than finley, and IMO, Jolly’s upside is much more positive that tweetiebird’s upside….
Do NOT re-sign this guy!