On Saturday, Adrian Wilson suffered an injury that was at one time thought to have caused season ending damage. Now, according to the team and Wilson himself, it looks like A-Dub will attempt to play through the tear in his bicep and undergo treatment and physical therapy throughout the year.
When I heard this, I asked myself if he should even consider playing through something of this magnitude. After all, if he goes through with his decision to play through the pain, he risks injuring his arm even further.
This is why I do not think Adrian Wilson should play until he is absolutely healthy.
In 2010, Adrian Wilson decided to tough it out and play through an abdominal muscle tear that required surgery in the off-season. No one was truly aware of the significance of that injury, but it undoubtedly contributed to Wilson's subpar season.
With an injury like this, the effects could be even worse. Kent Somers said this about the injury in a recent interview:
"It's very limited use, it would be hard for him to retain strength. But if anyone can do it, it's Adrian Wilson."
That is a great point made by Somers. What if his tackling abilities are diminished with this injury? Obviously, Wilson wants to play, but if he cannot contribute more to the defense than another player that is healthy can, maybe he should just take the time to heal the wound.
My thoughts are that Rashad Johnson should be the starting safety next to Kerry Rhodes against the Panthers in week one. My reasoning for this thought process is twofold. One, I would like to see Johnson develop his game and justify the third round pick that was spent on him in 2009. He showed the ability to be a big time safety at Alabama, why can't he do the same thing in Arizona?
Secondly, Wilson does not need to put himself into a situation that could be not only season ending, but even career threatening. That is how guys end up calling it quits early. I doubt that tearing the bicep muscle completely could end his career prematurely, but I don't want to find out either.
Wilson should be inactive and reassessed throughout the season. As pointed out by Kent Somers, he cannot be placed on the PUP list because training camp has already started. Once he is good to go, the Cardinals can start having him take reps with the first team in practice, slowly easing him back into the starting safety role. This is how I would handle the current situation.
What do you think Cardinals fans? Should Adrian Wilson play through the injury or take time to fully nurse his tendon and come back as good as ever?