Matt
10-31-2006, 11:11 AM
Report: Jets' Martin done for year, career in jeopardy (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2644240)
Jets head coach Eric Mangini said earlier Monday that the team would wait until next week to make a decision about activating running back Curtis Martin for practice or ending his season. But according to a newspaper report late Monday night, it seems the decision has already been made.
Martin, the leading rusher in Jets history, will not play this season because of the same bone-on-bone condition in his right knee that has kept him on the physically-unable-to-perform list for the first eight weeks of the season, the Newark Star-Ledger reported, citing several players and a team official.
The report also said that Martin's career is likely over.
"He told me he's done," said one player, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of Mangini's policy of keeping mum about injuries. "He said he has bone-on-bone and he can't cut. Besides, he's not in any type of shape to play. The only way he would play is by some type of miracle.
"I think he's going to concentrate on his business opportunities. He feels he can make more money off the field than on it."
According the report, Martin has slowed his rehab process considerably, has been spending increasingly less time at the team complex, and rarely attends evening team meetings.
Martin, who has rushed for 14,101 yards, was injured last season in Week 2, but played in 12 games before ending his year. He underwent surgery in December, but was slow to recover. He was placed on the PUP list before training camp so he could continue to rehabilitate the knee.
"That's a hard injury to come back from," a team official, who also requested anonymity, told the newspaper. "The only thing he has to play for is pride. He doesn't have anything to prove. I don't see him playing again."
According to NFL rules, a player on the PUP list can't be cleared to practice until after Week 6. Then, a team has three weeks to decide whether to allow that player to start practicing. The deadline for the Jets is Nov. 7.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Jets head coach Eric Mangini said earlier Monday that the team would wait until next week to make a decision about activating running back Curtis Martin for practice or ending his season. But according to a newspaper report late Monday night, it seems the decision has already been made.
Martin, the leading rusher in Jets history, will not play this season because of the same bone-on-bone condition in his right knee that has kept him on the physically-unable-to-perform list for the first eight weeks of the season, the Newark Star-Ledger reported, citing several players and a team official.
The report also said that Martin's career is likely over.
"He told me he's done," said one player, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of Mangini's policy of keeping mum about injuries. "He said he has bone-on-bone and he can't cut. Besides, he's not in any type of shape to play. The only way he would play is by some type of miracle.
"I think he's going to concentrate on his business opportunities. He feels he can make more money off the field than on it."
According the report, Martin has slowed his rehab process considerably, has been spending increasingly less time at the team complex, and rarely attends evening team meetings.
Martin, who has rushed for 14,101 yards, was injured last season in Week 2, but played in 12 games before ending his year. He underwent surgery in December, but was slow to recover. He was placed on the PUP list before training camp so he could continue to rehabilitate the knee.
"That's a hard injury to come back from," a team official, who also requested anonymity, told the newspaper. "The only thing he has to play for is pride. He doesn't have anything to prove. I don't see him playing again."
According to NFL rules, a player on the PUP list can't be cleared to practice until after Week 6. Then, a team has three weeks to decide whether to allow that player to start practicing. The deadline for the Jets is Nov. 7.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.