Kansas City Chiefs running back Priest Holmes will travel to Miami this week to meet with a neurosurgeon in Miami. Still hoping that he could return on the field this season, he will undergo another evaluation for the severe head and neck trauma that has sidelined him for more than a year.
The 33-year-old Holmes has been placed on the NFL's physically unable to perform list (PUP) since August. Time is running for Holmes if he wants to play this season. Indeed even though the deadline to activate a player is on the 12th week, any player on the PUP list must begin practicing by Nov. 7, which is next Tuesday, to be eligible to return for this season according to league rules. This rule is made to in order to allow a player to return to practice leaving his team a three-week window in which he can be evaluated him. Then after the three week, the team must activate the player must be activated or place him on the physically unable to perform list for the balance of the season. With such tight schedule, Holmes still not cleared to play, has very small chance to be allowed to play again, at least this season. Team president Carl Peterson also shares this analysis explaining that he does not count on Holmes for this season.
During last season, Holmes stayed at his hometown of San Antonio, far away from the team, so that he would not be a distraction. Right after his injury in 2005, some experts even claimed that he would not be able to come back. . He has not played since suffering severe neck and head trauma in a head-to-head collision with San Diego linebacker Shawne Merriman last Oct. 30. Then during the first two months of the season, some report stated that his state of conditioning and his workout regiment yielded good results, enough to allow him to be back. Eventually the team announced that Holmes had to pass further exams.
Over the last two seasons, Holmes played in only 15 games. In 2004, he was badly injured on his hip injury in 2004, which could have ended his career. And then last year, he had a head-and-neck trauma. For the most of his injuries, he has been treated by Dr. Robert Watkins, who is a renowned Los Angeles-based specialist. Watkins has already warned Holmes about the potential long-term ramifications of another back or neck injury. Therefore Holmes is prepared to abide by the various specialists' verdict on his football future.
About the writer: Nigel Kerry is an American free lance writer born in Los Angeles, California. Kerry writes among others for Sportus.com - Sportsbook reviews, UsBookies.com - Sports Betting Online and Get-best-mortgage-loan.com - Mortgage lenders, get the best mortgage loan
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