Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribune answers your questions:
“Is Alshon Jeffrey‘s injury history being overblown in terms of contract negotiations?… — Jesse G., San Diego”
“I think the troubling thing about Jeffery’s 2015 season is he missed seven games with a string of calf, hamstring and groin muscle injuries. It started with the calf and he basically kept suffering soft-tissue injuries. Had Jeffery played nine games and missed seven with a broken bone of some sort, I don’t know that the situation would be viewed in the same light.”
I’m not entirely sure why this is. Is it because the players are expected to play through these injuries? I find that hard to believe since they will only tend to get worse without rest. Perhaps it’s because they tend to be recurring?
I don’t doubt that Biggs is correct here. But I think I’m supposed to be reading something between the lines and I don’t know what it is.
EDIT: I’ve been thinking a bit more about this post since I put it up. I’m thinking that the reason why Jeffery’s injuries being of the soft tissuse variety is important is that they are seen as being preventable.
Right or wrong, I think Jeffery is being pegged as being not in the best shape to play. Assuming that’s the case, it understandable why there would be a difference between his soft tissue injuries and, say, a broken bone.