In 2009, former Jets quarterback Brett Favre talked repeatedly about how a partially torn biceps tendon hampered his performance during a late-season free fall that saw the Jets go from 8-3 to 9-7 to end the 2008 season. But the Jets hadn’t disclosed the injury, and the NFL eventually was compelled to fine the Jets, G.M. Mike Tannenbaum, and former coach Eric Mangini the total amount of $125,000.
Now, Jets guard Matt Slauson says he played the 2011 season with a torn labrum, rotator cuff, and biceps in his left shoulder. But the Jets never disclosed that Slauson had a labrum, rotator cuff, or biceps injury.
“I knew something was wrong, but I was like, ‘OK, I’ll keep on playing as long as I can play,’ and I was able to get through it all,” Slauson said Thursday, according to Jenny Vrentas of the Newark Star-Ledger. “I felt like I had a fairly successful year personally with it. So I’m really excited about next year without having pain.”
Slauson had full-blown surgery after the season ended. He believes he suffered the injury in November 2010 against the Patriots.
But he claims he never got the injury checked out. Presumably, that would insulate the Jets from scrutiny; if they never knew Slauson was hurt, they would have had no reason to disclose the injury.
Still, the Jets knew in Week 10 that Slauson had a neck injury that didn’t require full-blown surgery; he was listed as probable that week. And the Jets knew in Week 11 that Slauson had an ankle injury that didn’t require full-blown surgery; he was again listed as probable. And the Jets didn’t know in Weeks 12 through 15 that Slauson had a knee injury that didn’t require full-blown surgery; he was listed as probable for each of those four games.
Slauson never was listed on the injury report as having anything wrong with his labrum, rotator cuff, bicep, or shoulder.
So, yes, it seems more than a little implausible that Slauson could have, for more than a year, a torn labrum, a torn rotator cuff, and a torn biceps and that neither he nor the team knew anything about these conditions.
It’ll be interesting to see whether the league office takes the Jets’ and Slauson’s word for this one, or whether the league asks to inspect any relevant training-room records that would reveal whether or not Slauson received treatment.