Priest Article
 

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/10268642

Priest Holmes gets medical OK, reporting to Chiefs camp
July 25, 2007
Compiled From Wire Reports




KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Chiefs running back Priest Holmes has informed the team that he intends to report to training camp Saturday.

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Holmes told Chiefs president Carl Peterson on Wednesday that he wants to play for the Chiefs in 2007, team spokesman Brad Kuhbander said. Holmes is under contract with the Chiefs through 2009.

"In my conversation with Priest, he was excited about playing," Peterson said in a news release.

Peterson said the 33-year-old Holmes might be placed on the physically unable to perform list initially to gauge his conditioning and to see how he feels after noncontact drills. He has not played since Oct. 30, 2005, when he was injured by a hit by linebacker Shawne Merriman in a game at San Diego. The hit left him with head and neck trauma, diagnosed by three spinal specialists.

"I have said many times that I would never count this player out like so many did after his hip surgery," Peterson said, referring to an injury Holmes had in 2002 that prompted the Chiefs to take Larry Johnson with their first pick in the 2003 draft. "He's a very unique human being."

Peterson said the team would "take it slow" to see how well Holmes was doing, "but there's no question that if Priest Holmes is close to what he was before his injury, he'll make a significant impact on the offensive side of the football," Peterson said.

Holmes was cleared to play after being examined by the team's orthopedic doctors in Miami, Kuhbander said.

The 5-foot-9, 213-pound Holmes spent 2006 on the physically unable to perform list. Since joining the Chiefs in 2001, Holmes ranks first in the NFL in averaging 97.3 yards per game and 136 yards from scrimmage.

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Everytime he gets hit the crowd will stand up...and applaud when he walks to the sidelines.


Even after the hip surgery..everytime he jumped over defenses to score, I cringed..because all it would take is one solid hit...and...crunch

i hope he trucks roidboy.

In the old days, Merriman would have already paid.

I still have a very hard time with him being serious about coming back to play......

Now being cleared to play screws up his paycheck, he has to play to get it or be put back on the PUP.

Amen

Kick that ass Priest ....

213-pound I wonder what his weight is now?

Clever play by KingCarl
 

Remember when it was unsure if Priest would be able to play an the shock at bringing in LJ? I would not be surprised to see the shoe on the other foot, in an attempt to soften LJ's upcoming holdout for more $$$.
A typical Peterson move. What a clever GM we have.

I know it's your birthday and all, Mr. ROYC75, at least it will be someday, so I hesitate to disagree or take issue with any post you choose to make. But maybe, just maybe, Priest is coming back to kick ass and take names. And, in my little dream, LT is on his list.

FAX

Yeah, whether intended or not, it's an interesting turn.

LJ was leverage against Priest, now Priest is leverage against LJ.

I don't think it'll have much impact on the LJ negotiations, though. If Priest is still able to contribute (and to me that's a big "if") I'd think it would be in a very limited role.

That said it could be huge. Priest does well in the areas LJ is lacking. Blocking, receiving, etc. He could be a fantastic change of pace, not to mention lightening the load on LJ.

This is nothing but good news. Worst case scenario, he can't play anymore, and we're no worse off then we were yesterday.