Placed on injured reserve by the Bills today, linebacker Shawne Merriman will have surgery to repair his Achilles’ tendon.
Merriman disclosed the news in a statement posted on his website.
He said that the tendon was “in danger of rupturing,” and that he was advised to undergo surgery as soon as possible in order to avoid that outcome.
Some may respond by saying that the ultimate outcome is the same that it would be if the tendon had ruptured, so why not just keep playing? But the rehab of a ruptured Achilles’ tendon is surely more involved and extensive than the process of recovering from the surgery that he’ll have to strengthen it, making it more likely that he’ll be able to participate fully in the 2012 offseason program.