Defensive lineman Johnny Jolly is a free agent, but hasn’t generated much buzz over the last week.
One big reason for that is the neck fusion surgery he had in January to repair the bulging disc in his neck that forced him onto injured reserve last season. The surgery is less severe than the one that Jolly’s Packers teammates Jermichael Finley and Nick Collins had after their neck injuries, but he still wasn’t medically cleared and teams are understandably wary about signing an agreement with a player in such a situation.
According to Jolly’s agent, they’ll only have to wait a couple more weeks before that concern is a moot one. Jack Bechta said that Jolly has gotten a green light from doctors regarding his neck and that he should get full clearance in about two weeks. The remaining hangup is related to the bone graft that doctors had to take from Jolly’s hip as part of the operation.
That may not result in a flood of interest in a defensive lineman who turned 31 last month, but his chances of landing a job for next season can only go up after the silent start to free agency.