Jermichael Finley Said to Be Having Surgery on Thursday

Former Packers tight end Mark Chmura said Monday on the ESPN Radio affiliate in Milwaukee on 540 AM that current Packers tight end Jermichael Finley will have surgery on his neck on Thursday.

Chmura said, “I believe he told me he’s undergoing surgery on Thursday," noting that it will be between the third and fourth vertebrae.

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Comments (23)

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Evan's picture

November 12, 2013 at 08:25 am

Chmura also said that in talking with Finley, he believes his career is over.

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Idiot Fan's picture

November 12, 2013 at 08:30 am

I thought part of the original optimism was that he didn't need surgery. What happened?

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Evan's picture

November 12, 2013 at 08:35 am

Yeah, that's a good question. Who knows.

Surgery certainly complicates matters.

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Derek in CO's picture

November 12, 2013 at 08:57 am

As we all know, the Packers are not very forthcoming on injuries or timelines, so I'm not surprised they haven't said anything on Finley. If he is having surgery so soon, I bet it is Finley trying to return as soon as he can, probably against the Packers wishes. He's done in Green Bay.

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Idiot Fan's picture

November 12, 2013 at 09:12 am

He's on IR, so there's nothing he can do about returning, and there's also not much reason for the Packers to give updates. Personally I hope he comes back to GB for a short, cap-friendly contract. That could be a win for both parties. Assuming he's healthy of course.

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Evan's picture

November 12, 2013 at 09:20 am

IF he is healthy and can return, I'd bet that's exactly what happens.

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Jayme Snowden's picture

November 12, 2013 at 12:02 pm

Not a doctor - and I didn't even Wikipedia this so I could be completely wrong - But, after listening to Chmura immediately after Finley's injury, my belief is that the surgery is to help him play again. Chewy retired because he didn't want the surgery (like Morgan says below - it's a dangerous surgery), his neck would never be stable enough without it to sustain hits.

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packsmack25's picture

November 12, 2013 at 09:02 am

I've always heard that they can't get good imaging on an MRI until the swelling goes down. If that's the case, I'd imagine the bruised spinal cord stayed swollen for a bit and made it tough to see what else was going on.

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I bleed Green More's picture

November 12, 2013 at 09:40 am

I guess things can change pretty fast.

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KaeseEs's picture

November 12, 2013 at 08:58 am

IF: not that you were saying anything to the contrary, but I certainly can't blame Finley if he's thought things through again and decided the risks of playing again are too high after having his life flash before his eyes like that.

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Idiot Fan's picture

November 12, 2013 at 09:13 am

Yep, that would be totally understandable.

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RC Packer Fan's picture

November 12, 2013 at 09:06 am

I am not sure what happened because all the reports I was hearing he didn't need surgery.
I don't like to assume anything, but I will say he won't be playing anymore. At least with the Packers.

McCarthy is not comfortable using a player that has had a neck injury. Terrance Murphy, Nick Collins were both done right away. I don't remember but didn't Jeremy Thompson suffer a neck injury that ended his career?
And they have still yet to allow Sean Richardson to play, even though he has reportedly been cleared by doctors.

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Idiot Fan's picture

November 12, 2013 at 09:14 am

Yeah, I wonder about Richardson. It could be the injury, or it could be the fact that we have lots of injured players who are not going on IR, so roster spots are very tight, and Richardson hasn't played in a while.

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Joe's picture

November 12, 2013 at 09:18 am

Well if it is between the third fourth vertebrae then J-Mack can say good bye to football like so many other talented players before him. I believe Sterling Sharpe had the same procedure done.

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Evan's picture

November 12, 2013 at 09:19 am

Fuller quotes, via BR:

“I will give you a little snibbet,” Chmura said. “I got a chance to talk to Jermichael Finley before the game, and I would bet my bottom dollar his career’s over. Over. He needs surgery, and it’s herniated in [the C3 and C4 vertebrae]. . . . I think it’s gonna be a Nick Collins deal. He’s definitely not gonna play in Green Bay, I’d put my house on that.”

Chmura added that Finley said surgery is happening soon: “I believe he’s undergoing surgery on Thursday. . . . He literally could not move his neck.”

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Idiot Fan's picture

November 12, 2013 at 10:07 am

Interesting. I had thought that the original diagnosis was a bruise and not a herniated disc. Although I'm no doctor, so I have no idea what I'm talking about. But I thought the distinction was made, which was why he was hopeful. But yeah, if this is like Collins, godspeed JerMike...

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Jayme Snowden's picture

November 12, 2013 at 12:09 pm

Went back and re-read this <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/return-of-jermichael-finley-unlik... target="_blank" rel="nofollow">article</a> from right after the Finley injury.

<em>"If everything is normal there should be enough space in the spinal canal to absorb the force of that hit," Hsu said Tuesday. "If there isn't enough space, then the spinal canal doesn't take the jolt very well.

...

If there is spinal bruising, Finley's doctors will explore several possibilities why he suffered a contusion, Hsu said. What they would try to find out is what caused the distance between the vertebrae and the spinal cord to narrow such that a bruise could occur.

Hsu said there are typically four things that would cause a spinal cord bruise: a herniated disk; a fractured joint; stenosis or a genetic or arthritic narrowing of the spine; and a loose vertebrae due to ligament damage around the spine."</em>

So in theory, if the spine bruises, there will be something else wrong as well.

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Idiot Fan's picture

November 12, 2013 at 12:59 pm

Interesting. Thanks Jayme.

So, do we know, is this a fusion surgery that JF is having?

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Bert's picture

November 12, 2013 at 09:35 am

Whether he returns or not I wish JMike the best. Good player and I think he matured the last couple of years. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

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I bleed Green More's picture

November 12, 2013 at 09:43 am

He has the 10 million policy smart move at least they are good financially.

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Mojo's picture

November 12, 2013 at 01:32 pm

Which is another reason why he will most likely retire. Plus, the $10 mil is tax-free. If he loses that by playing at a taxable salary that will probably be pretty low because of the injury, he must really love playing football.

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PackerPete's picture

November 12, 2013 at 09:58 am

take it for what it is worth, but my wife is in the medical field and after hearing what Chmura had to say and chatting with her colleague who is a neurosurgeon, she said she wishes Finley the best but if he does not want to risk being paralyzed he better quit now. of course that is a diagnosis without knowing the exact facts and just hearing what Chmura had to say, but there are not many doctors who will clear someone with such injury.

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Morgan Mundane's picture

November 12, 2013 at 10:05 am

My wife was a Neuro Rn at Mayo and worked with the best of the best. One thing I learned is they never want to rush into surgery that involves the spine.
Ironic that Neuro Surgeons do NOT want to operate unless its necessary because spinal surgery is flat out dangerous with the spinal column is invovled.

Most of the time they continue to monitor the situation over time to assess if its getting better, worse or doing nothing.

I wish Mr Findley the best if he truely is having surgery.

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