Al Wilson spent eight years in the NFL as a linebacker with the Broncos. A neck injury that he suffered late in the 2006 season ultimately prevented Wilson from spending a ninth year in the NFL.
But Wilson thinks it didn’t have to be that way. After a Broncos doctor advised against surgery and a trade was arranged with the Giants, the deal fell apart when Giants doctors concluded that Wilson needed surgery.
Believing he would have received a five-year, $25 million deal from the Giants, Wilson filed a malpractice suit against Dr. Chad Prusmack, claiming that he negligently failed to recommend surgery to repair the neck injury.
Felisa Cardona of the Denver Post reports that, earlier this month, a Denver jury found that Dr. Prusmack was not negligent. The defense included evidence indicating that Wilson later was cleared to play despite not having the surgery.
So why didn’t the Giants clear him? Maybe their doctor has a different approach to treating such injuries. Maybe they had second thoughts about the trade. Either way, the jury concluded that Dr. Prusmack has no responsibility for the fact that the Giants opted not to add Wilson to the roster that capped what would have been his first season on the team with a Super Bowl win.