Defensive lineman Johnny Jolly has been waiting for medical clearance to return after January’s neck surgery before he could seriously pursue a job for the 2014 season.
According to his agent, that day has come. Jack Bechta told the Green Bay Press-Gazette that his client has been cleared by his doctors after the C-5/C-6 spinal fusion surgery and is just waiting for calls from interested teams.
Any of those teams will have their own medical evaluation to do before signing Jolly. That group could include the Packers, who haven’t closed the door on Jolly’s return and have set a high bar in the past for players trying to return from similar surgeries. They do have an open roster spot after parting ways with running back Johnathan Franklin as a result of his own serious neck injury.
Assuming teams reach the same conclusions as Jolly’s doctors, he should get a shot at a roster spot somewhere this summer after making eight pre-injury starts for Green Bay last season.