Following up on a Sunday report, which indicated that Marshawn Lynch is visiting a specialist in Philadelphia about a possible sports hernia, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com confirms that the Seahawks running back is believed to suffering from a sports hernia. If Dr. Williams Meyers, that Philadelphia specialist, agrees with that diagnosis, Lynch would likely undergo surgery immediately, and may miss the rest of the regular season.
It’s worth noting that Jaguars wide receiver Allen Hurns visited Dr. Meyers last week for an abdominal injury, and ultimately decided to put off possible sports hernia surgery until after the season, returning to action for Jacksonville last Thursday against the Titans. Of course, not every sports hernia injury is the same, and it’s possible Lynch’s will require more immediate attention, but we shouldn’t officially write off Beast Mode for the next few weeks quite yet.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s West divisions:
- With the Chargers out of the 2015 playoff picture, it’s time for team chairman Dean Spanos to consider the club’s long-term prospects, according to Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com, who suggests that both head coach Mike McCoy and general manager Tom Telesco are on the hot seat in San Diego.
- McCoy must go, says Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. According to Acee, who argues that the Chargers head coach should be relieved of his duties at season’s end, it means something that McCoy hasn’t lost the team this season, but “it just doesn’t mean enough.”
- Another head coach whose seat appears to be getting a little warmer is Jeff Fisher, writes Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. While the Rams haven’t enjoyed very strong quarterback play during Fisher’s tenure in St. Louis, it’s worth noting that Fisher pushed for the acquisition of Nick Foles, who was benched during the club’s current three-game losing streak, notes Garafolo.
- Within that same piece, Garafolo also addresses the Colin Kaepernick situation, indicating that sources close to Kaepernick were “adamant” that the 49ers quarterback didn’t consider his contract status when he made the decision to undergo shoulder surgery. Still, it could become a sticking point this offseason — Kaepernick’s 2016 salary is guaranteed for injury only until April 1, and while the Niners expect the QB to be able to pass a physical by then, those physicals are somewhat subjective. Kaepernick’s camp could cite other physicians with differing opinions and try to fight the team to get his salary guaranteed if he’s cut before April.
Prior rumors indicated that Telesco’s job was safe, but it really shouldn’t be. McCoy has been hamstrung by the poor roster construction of Telesco and the prior regime, and it looks like he will be the scapegoat here. I could certainly understand if Spanos wanted to clean house entirely, but if only one or the other of McCoy and Telesco is to be relived of their duties, it should be Telesco.