News: PFT: Tyron Smith wants to keep playing a long time and says surgery will allow for that

[HungryLion]

Why the wait to do it?

I have read articles previously that Tyron didn’t want surgery and wanted to try and manage it with PT and other treatments.

Given the risks associated with neck surgery and the fact that his neck health is going to be important to him even after football and trying to enjoy his life.

i can’t blame Tyron for wanting to exhaust all other treatment options prior to getting surgery. To be honest.

 

[Cowpolk]

Tyron didn’t get the memo that his career is over?

They forgot to tell him!

 

[Praxit]

..gotta luve his optimism. Though, reality might say something else. NFL is brutal.

 

[Oz-of-Cowboy-Country]

As long as it didn't come out of Jerry's mouth we're good. Jerry puts the jinx on players when he gets to talking about longevity.

 

[Rayman70]

Tyron didn’t get the memo that his career is over?

And the real games haven't began yet. Dont mock anything just yet lol...we all know how quickly things can change in the nfl.He could get hurt in Oxnard for all we know. Right now EVERYONE looks and feels like a Million bucks. I'm cautiously optimistic. I dont think anyone said his playing career is over, I think rational people see how many games he has missed over the last 3 years with the same nagging injuries and are simply asking the right questions and wandering if we should move on from him as a starter. He does have alot of miles on those tires.Hard to fault fans for askin these questions, afterall, he has missed alot of time.

 

[CouchCoach]

I do not doubt his desire but I had a cervical fusion and don't know if that's what he had but that is not a restorative to previous condition surgery. I am aware of that surgery just about every day since then, 20 years ago, and I had the highest rated Neurosurgeon in DFW do it. However I don't know his issue, mine was C 6-7. I had to sell my pool table. Maybe it's different for football players but Daryl Johnston retired shortly after getting that surgery.

 

[Flamma]

I have read articles previously that Tyron didn’t want surgery and wanted to try and manage it with PT and other treatments.

Given the risks associated with neck surgery and the fact that his neck health is going to be important to him even after football and trying to enjoy his life.

i can’t blame Tyron for wanting to exhaust all other treatment options prior to getting surgery. To be honest.

Yep. No one wants surgery on their neck/back if possible. Although not quite herniated, I do have multiple discs giving me problems from time to time. Depending on which ones, they cause problems and pain in different places. I reaggravated one of them and it also took out my right arm and caused numbness in two fingers. I was out for 7 weeks. But I don't have to get surgery. But if you're a football player I can see where it can be a big issue. Just aggravating it can put you out for weeks.

 

[Beaker42]

I have read articles previously that Tyron didn’t want surgery and wanted to try and manage it with PT and other treatments.

Given the risks associated with neck surgery and the fact that his neck health is going to be important to him even after football and trying to enjoy his life.

i can’t blame Tyron for wanting to exhaust all other treatment options prior to getting surgery. To be honest.

It should’ve been obvious some time ago that managing it that way wasn’t working out. Like after the first season he fought it.

 

[America's Cowboy]

I was saying that years ago, yet I got blasted for it.

What do I know? I only had major lower back surgery on 2 ruptured and a 3rd herniated disc?

 

[Point-of-the-Star]

I have read articles previously that Tyron didn’t want surgery and wanted to try and manage it with PT and other treatments.

Given the risks associated with neck surgery and the fact that his neck health is going to be important to him even after football and trying to enjoy his life.

i can’t blame Tyron for wanting to exhaust all other treatment options prior to getting surgery. To be honest.

I heard the same thing and truthfully for the lay person you'd exhaust all the less invasive treatments 1st. Tyron was given that option and I suspect he was told this will fix you. And it might have if he was an ordinary joe but he was a 300 lb man colliding with other 300lb men who had a headstart 50 times a game. Any progress made with non-surgical treatment is quickly negated. The man had a structural issue ... stenosis in the cervical spine. The nerves were getting crunched because their pathways were too small. Surgically they gave the nerves more room and also stabilized the bone structure. It's been since October and I'd think they'd like to hold off on contact as long as possible to give the bone grafting time to overgrow and build a stronger bony structure. Time = more bone=more structural strength.

I'm excited to see a new and stronger Tron !!!!! The left side should be good! We have the potential to have a 2014 quality OL.

 

[1LoyalCowboyFan]

I had him pegged to retire due to his back and neck issues. Glad I was wrong. Especially if he keeps producing at the level that is expected.

 

[Point-of-the-Star]

I do not doubt his desire but I had a cervical fusion and don't know if that's what he had but that is not a restorative to previous condition surgery. I am aware of that surgery just about every day since then, 20 years ago, and I had the highest rated Neurosurgeon in DFW do it. However I don't know his issue, mine was C 6-7. I had to sell my pool table. Maybe it's different for football players but Daryl Johnston retired shortly after getting that surgery.

CC, every surgery and every anatomy and every injury is different. I worked as a trauma ICU in Neuro for 30 years. I will say mobility of the neck could be compromised and usually the physics of the spinal structure gets off kilter. That's why you'll see folks get a surgery and 10 years later the less flexible section of spine has causes more than intended stress at a different level. He could go 10 more years without a neck issue.

 

[AsthmaField]

I also think we need to keep some things in perspective.


Other than this last season. The most games Tyron ever missed a year was 3.

Tyron also played in all of the cowboys playoff games since joining the cowboys.

When on the field. Tyron is still a top 5 LT. Even when banged up.

Tyrons contract is a steal.

Tyron for 13 games per year plus playoffs, on his relatively cheap deal, is most likely far better than anyone you try to replace him with. Unless you use a top 10 pick on a tackle (which is fine if/when it does need to happen)


In conclusion, there’s zero reason to not give Tyron the chance to come back from this. Especially considering he finally got surgery.

Yeah, rumors of his demise have been (unsurprisingly) greatly exaggerated. He’s 30 years old which is still young for an OL. Trent Williams will be 33 before the season starts and the Niners are paying him really good money for the next 3 years.

Smith has a lot of time left and he’s playing at a very high level. Like you mentioned, his contract is team friendly as hell, and the Cowboys would be absolutely insane to do anything other than plan on him being their LT going forward.

That’s why it would have been all-time dumb to draft an OT with the first round pick this year with the team’s defensive needs. Both Smith and Collins are going to be around for a while, and they’re a very good combo.

 

[Adreme]

I remember when Demarcus Ware missed a few games for the first time ever and all of a sudden ol Steve Jones declared his best football behind him and cut him.

then a season later the cowboys could have gone to a super bowl had they had a Demarcus ware to hit Aaron Rodgers maybe once or twice, you know like th way he dominated the 2015 afc championship game in the second half sending Denver to a championship.

pretty weird how Smith has missed way more time and seems to always have issues yet he is still here but Ware was given no such treatment.

something tells me ol Steve Jones has no idea what he is doing.

Or they learned from past mistakes or Jones is/was much younger or they have not seen someone they think can be 80% of what Jones can be fall to them in the draft.

 

[Bullflop]

Glad to hear that Tyron is healthy and feeling rejuvenated lately.

Let's hope the variety of issues that he'll have are less frequent.

He'll always be an extremely valuable member of our OL, imho!

Neck surgery has always been a bit of a risky endeavor, though.

 

[GoJacks]

I remember when Demarcus Ware missed a few games for the first time ever and all of a sudden ol Steve Jones declared his best football behind him and cut him.

then a season later the cowboys could have gone to a super bowl had they had a Demarcus ware to hit Aaron Rodgers maybe once or twice, you know like th way he dominated the 2015 afc championship game in the second half sending Denver to a championship.

pretty weird how Smith has missed way more time and seems to always have issues yet he is still here but Ware was given no such treatment.

something tells me ol Steve Jones has no idea what he is doing.

The Cowboys couldn't afford to keep him. They had to cut him to stay under the cap and he wasn't taking a reduction in pay.

 

[Risen Star]

Another decade of dominance on the way.

 

[Jipper]

Should have done a long time ago!

Deciding to get surgery especially back surgery is a very tough decision...I do not begrudge him for trying to rehab it and live without surgery.

If you know someone or have personally had back issues that could warrant surgery then you will know how tough the decision is...there is a lot of risk and never guaranteed to be truly fixed

I get he's a professional athlete and thats a fair argument but with my own personal experiences I can't be upset with him trying to avoid surgery

 

[Rayman70]

I do not doubt his desire but I had a cervical fusion and don't know if that's what he had but that is not a restorative to previous condition surgery. I am aware of that surgery just about every day since then, 20 years ago, and I had the highest rated Neurosurgeon in DFW do it. However I don't know his issue, mine was C 6-7. I had to sell my pool table. Maybe it's different for football players but Daryl Johnston retired shortly after getting that surgery.

I also had the same surgery you did, back in 2000. Same level too. My life has never been quite the same.Range of motion is a problem,lets just say that. You nailed it. Good post.

 

[BotchedLobotomy]

Things go well when TS is in the lineup