Brad Holmes said that more information was needed on Branch and LaPorta’s injuries before the team would commit to contract extensions.
It dawned on me that we really could have already witnessed the best of LaPorta, Branch, and Kerby, potential hall of famers (and no doubt critical to any Super Bowl aspirations) already and have lost their best years — all in a span of a season.
There’s no way that isn’t unique in the history of sports for one team to experience that sort of loss.
For Laporta and Kerby… IDK, hard to say with their injuries, if they are consistent things, maybe, but I think both got some juice left, still young enough to play
Branch… Achillies Tear at his position, regardless of Age is a death knell for DB’s
Again… Look at Tracy Walker, Night and Day difference after he tore his Achillies, went from a legit Pro Bowl Safety to not even being playable.
I’m the most worried about Kerby, chronic knee issues could end his career early.
LaPorta, I believe he comes back at the same level
Branch I believe has the instincts to overcome a little loss of speed
Its definitely the saddest part about this year. We didn’t just get injuries. We got major and complicated injuries. I don’t know if Branch can come back. I’ve seen it go both ways. I’ve heard there is a new procedure that helps outcomes. degenerative knee issues are never good, so who knows with Kerby. Then Sam got his vertebrate fused or whatever. None of it sounds great.
People totally undervalued La Porta’s contributions compared to the OL issues this year. That guy’s a stud and like a QB out there. Him going down was a huge deal this past year. He helps chip on both sides (making Decker look better than he is) and gets to the second level to block and spring those runs. He’s in motion a good portion of the time as well which makes things more difficult on opposing Ds. When he’s not doing the dirty work, he’s catching balls!
But here’s the thing. Sam magically came back at the end of his first magical season when it looked like his leg was torn off to play in the playoffs. Last year he was dinged up the whole season. That back injury this year is serious and is just one of a series for a young player like him that quietly goes about his business and plays his ass off every down to the point I’m not so sure his future is assured. Who do you replace that guy with while you’re still looking for a PB center and a replacement quality LT.
On D, if you were watching Kirby looked like a limping war veteran out there weeks before they put him out there hobbling for nothing in that last game he played. Branch (one of my fav players) was overcompensating for all the other injuries surrounding him on D for the last two seasons.
Injuries are serious and part of the game. I wouldn’t expect all 3 of these guys to be at top form ever again. Which is why as a GM you gotta constantly be turning over that roster.
Damn shame if it turns out that way. La Porta and Branch are bona fide studs. Love Kirby but not sure in the same category as these other two guys.
I’m hoping Sam’s incredible healing powers extends itself to this injury as well. I think there’s hope for him. Like others have said branch can probably adapt to a more inside role, hopefully. The one I think is lost is Kerby. He was practically crying when he tried to come back this year, he may never be himself again.
I think LaPorta should be fine. It’s a herniated disc, which if treated properly shouldn’t be much of an issue going forward. JJ Watt had a herniated disc in 2016, and it cost him most of that season and 2017, but he’s said that he was too aggressive with his rehab and trying to get back too fast.
Branch has a RAS of 5.27 so he’s not someone who relies on athleticism anyway. A torn Achilles takes a long ass time to heal so he probably won’t be all the way back until 2027, but Kobe Bryant and others have proved that you can still play at a high level after that injury.
Kerby is the one that worries me most. Campbell said in a press conference during the season that it’s a degenerative condition (worn cartilage) that won’t ever heal and just has to be managed. Some players can play through it with injections and just pain tolerance, which is what I think Dan was expecting when he was speaking positively about Kerby coming back, but with what Kerby was putting up on his socials it seems like he’s not keen to take that path, and if a player isn’t mentally right then it doesn’t matter how well you patch him up. I wouldn’t be surprised if his career is over.
Branch returns to 85-90"%, the loss somewhat mitigated by the position he plays.
Joseph returns to steadily decline. Unknown how much longer he’ll play.
This sucks, but at least we’re not thumbs-upping. 1 step forward, 2 steps back, but everyone’s stepping. Kind of silver-lining-ish, but as I was typing out my own woe, I was reminded how much worse we’ve seen.
