Jamaal Charles: Is Kansas City Chiefs RB's NFL Future In Doubt?

[oaklandhater]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/evanmassey/2015/10/13/jamaal-charles-is-kansas-city-chiefs-rbs-nfl-future-in-doubt/

The Kansas City Chiefs suffered two major losses against the Chicago Bears this past week in NFL action. They lost the game and dropped to 1-4 on the season, but most importantly they saw star running back Jamaal Charles go down with a torn ACL. It isn’t the first time that he has torn his ACL, as he tore his ACL back in 2011 as well.

Charles is one of the most electric running backs in the NFL, which makes the Chiefs even more concerned about this injury. He relies on his quick cutting ability to make plays and there are questions about whether or not this could affect his NFL future.

During the 2015 season up until his torn ACL this past week, Charles had carried the football 71 times for 364 yards and four touchdowns. He was one of the best running backs in the NFL and was poised to continue his big season throughout the rest of the year. Unfortunately, there is no question that this injury puts his NFL future in doubt as far as whether or not he will return to his full explosiveness.


Tearing an ACL is one of the biggest nightmare’s for a running back and coming back from one of them is tough enough. Having to come back from a second one is demoralizing and quite simply more difficult than the first.

At 28 years old, Charles is already starting to get up there in age for a running back. He has been used as a workhorse throughout a large portion of his career and Kansas City knows that his time for being a elite running back is coming close to an end. They were hoping that he could provide them with at least three more superstar caliber years, but following this injury they have to be worried that the window will close much sooner than expected.

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Kansas City is going to cut him or trade him, but they do have two talented young backs behind him. Knile Davis and Charcandrick West are both more than capable of taking over for Charles and putting up big numbers every week. If they are able to shoulder the load that Charles has left, that could bring up some options for the future with him.

Davis and West have both been waiting for an opportunity to showcase their talent behind Charles and could push him for some carries next season if they are able to play a big role throughout the remainder of the 2015 season.

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[Rasputin]

At this point he may even need consider retiring if he wants walk halfway normal in his 40s

[eDave]

I'd say yes. At least with KC.

[Vietnam58]

The Charles we know is done. .it was a good run (pun intended) but its over. .

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Hopefully, the ReidSmith will get hit by a fucking train before killing more lucrative KC careers, yes.

[Red Dawg]

I don't think he is done but no one will make him their lead. That's both knees or is t the same one? Either way he will be different.

[Simply Red]

The Charles we know is done. .it was a good run (pun intended) but its over. .

yup. :shake:

[rabblerouser]

I don't think he is done but no one will make him their lead. That's both knees or is t the same one? Either way he will be different.

Terry Kirby came back from 2 blown ACLs, and it's arguable that he was better than he ever was...

[scho63]

Jamaal Charles is a unique kind of guy, incredible running back and super athlete.

I would NOT bet against him.......

[Bowser]

Terry Kirby came back from 2 blown ACLs, and it's arguable that he was better than he ever was...

Didn't Jamaal blow a knee out in college, as well?

[fan4ever]

I'd be concerned his YPC would suffer if he returned...I'd like to see him stay as the all time leader in that category and receive credit for the great back he's been.

[Aspengc8]

At this point he may even need consider retiring if he wants walk halfway normal in his 40s

Are you saying that based off your personnel experience or an educated guess based off your medical background?

[loochy]

Are you saying that based off your personnel experience or an educated guess based off your medical background?

He's saying that based off of using a potato to take a picture of a steak.

[Baby Lee]

He's saying that based off of using a potato to take a picture of a steak.

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[Easy 6]

KC Tat is a good egg you bunch of yokels.

[scho63]

The repairs come with no guarantees. Doctors at the Richmond Bone and Joint Clinic in Sugarland, Texas, found in 2010 that 31 of 49 (63%) of NFL players studied returned to play in the league an average of 10.8 months after surgery.

Prehab and rehab

Surgeons typically don’t reconstruct ACLs until a week or two after the injury. That interim is for the prehab.

“The best thing to do before surgery is to get as much swelling out of the joint as possible to get their range of motion back,” said Anna Hartman, a physical therapist and Director of Physical Performance Therapy at Phoenix-based Athletes’ Performance, a training/rehab center for elite athletes.

“The more range of motion they go into surgery with and the less swelling … the better the outcomes they have.”

That means ice and elevation, massage and manipulation of the knee and exercising muscles of the hip that shut down after a leg injury. Hartman also has her patients work on range of motion in a pool with his or her body unweighted.

After surgery, Hartman said the doctors typically have the athletes stay home for 2-3 days. The knee is in an immobilizer (a type of brace that can be adjusted to allow for varying degrees of knee bending), and the athlete is on crutches.

After that, the rehab moves into full swing. Hartman said athletes usually are off crutches in two weeks, although the immobilizer will stay on for about four weeks.

From five weeks to 16 weeks, she said, the athlete does exercises to strengthen the muscles of the hip, thigh and calves. “Typically around 12 weeks, we’ll clear them to start running straight ahead,” she said.

The cutting and running come between 4-6 months.

“Six months, usually, the doctor will clear them to return to sports-specific activities,” Hartman said.

She added, “I won’t allow somebody to cut until they’ve shown me they have good strength and hip stability and are tolerating things well.”

The emphasis is on the quality, not the quickness, of the recovery.

“In the early 2000s, there were a lot of people pushing — without any science — returning in like 2-4 months,” Harner said. “Many of these athletes weren’t ready. They didn’t have the muscle power. They didn’t have the balance. … Their knee would fatigue, and they’d blow the graft out again.

Now, the rehab is more carefully monitored, Harner said: “We’re now looking at what is the function of the knee and the leg and the lower extremity. Can they do a shuttle drill (changes of direction around cones)? Can they do one-legged hops and can they run on a treadmill for 15 minutes and then stand on a single leg without having it wobble?”

[Baby Lee]

Anyone have a feel for Spencer Ware?

[Rausch]

Charles will be back by week 1 next year...

[Bowser]

Anyone have a feel for Spencer Ware?

He looked good when given a chance in the preseason. But, so do a lot of guys that never play a regular season game.

[jonzie04]

Things aren't looking too good, Just being honest with myself, Charles will be a few months away from 30 years old the next time he plays a regular season game, with two surgically repaired ACLS. The list of successful running backs 30 years old and above is incredibly short,and I'd guess that most, if not all of them didn't have two bum knees.

[Rausch]

Things aren't looking too good, Just being honest with myself, Charles will be a few months away from 30 years old the next time he plays a regular season game, with two surgically repaired ACLS. The list of successful running backs 30 years old and above is incredibly short,and I'd guess that most, if not all of them didn't have two bum knees.

Priest had blown his knee out twice over 10 years ago before he even reached the NFL and still came in and beasted out.

I'm more worried about how Dorsey/Reid view Charles than what Charles will come back as...

[jonzie04]

Priest had blown his knee out twice over 10 years ago before he even reached the NFL and still came in and beasted out.

I'm more worried about how Dorsey/Reid view Charles than what Charles will come back as...

Never knew that about priest. That's incredible. Still a very short list though. :(. But yes how Andy sees and uses Jamaal will also have a huge impact if Reid is still here.

[Bob Dole]

I'd be concerned his YPC would suffer if he returned...I'd like to see him stay as the all time leader in that category...

Didn't he fall to #2 after that final loss?