If nothing else, at least we finally have an idea of why Peyton Manning played such a stinky game against the Chiefs. NASA reported that you could see the stink-lines from space. Today, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Manning suffered a partially-torn plantar fascia in Week 10. The plantar fascia is a ligament that runs from your heel to your toes, basically following the curve of your foot arch. What’s more, it’s been reported that Manning had plantar fasciitis (inflammation of the same ligament) for about the last two weeks, and was attempting to play through it. Ugh. This is why I hate seeing players try to, “tough it out,” and play through injuries.
But none of that really matters. What matters is when Manning might reasonably come back. Fellow Footballguy Ari Ingel pointed out to me on Twitter that San Diego Charger Antonio Gates dealt with a partial plantar tear back in 2010. I have other examples, but there’s something I love about the Gates comp, so let’s roll with that one here. Gates was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis (again, that lesser version… no tear, just inflammation) in May of 2010. He rested up, which is what you do with this injury. Things seemed better. Then, in Week 8, Gates suffered a partial tear and missed the next three weeks (a bye sandwiched by two games). Gates tried to come back and finish out the season, but then missed the last four games. As if that wasn’t enough, the same injury sidelined him during the 2011 preseason, and eventually caused him to miss another 3 games during the regular season, as the scar tissue kept tearing.
Yes, I know what you’re going to say. Peyton Manning doesn’t need to move like Antonio Gates. True. But Peyton still needs solid footing in order to plant for his throws. Plus, he’s almost 10 years older than Gates was when he was injured. That’s significant. In my opinion, it’s the ugly comps like this that really highlight the possible severity of Peyton’s recovery. I’ll point out that there are a few other players that missed just a week or two, plus a few others that missed no time. TE Jimmy Graham missed no games with this injury in 2013, but it clearly effected his play. So really, it’s tough to tell how Manning will respond and heal. But a comp like Gates is useful for reminding us that, even if Manning comes back quickly, this injury might not be done with him.
