Have you played contact sports and been hit hard in the spot where you had your injuries? That'll definitely happen to Manning, and my biggest issue is how he'll be after that.

No, I haven't; I'm well beyond that phase of my life. But I have plenty of reason to believe that won't be an issue. Based on everything I have been told and have read (and I of course did plenty of research before letting someone cut my spine open and all that), there just is zero issue with reinjury at that particular joint, as long as it heals right. And about 99% of them do heal right.

To clarify what happens: They remove the disc and replace it with a chunk of bone (usually from a cadaver, though they also sometimes take a piece from the patient's own hip) as a spacer. They then bolt the vertebrae together using a plate in front of the spine and two heavy screws through that plate and into each bone (four total). And then you wait, for many months, while the bones grow together — this is why he's been out for so long. If all proceeds as it normally does, what you have is in effect a single bone comprising the two vertebrae and the spacer. Osteoblasts, the cells that grow bone, really love to fix cracks and at Manning's age he almost certainly now has a single bone where C5 and C6 used to be. The titanium (probably) plate is totally useless, but they leave it in rather than do another surgery because why not.

The site of the operation is also not a big deal. Mine is like a 5 cm incision. Only one small muscle needs to be cut. There's very little scarring, internally or externally, so it's just not delicate.

Now, one things this doesn't cover is the effect of the limited range of motion. Not very limited for most purposes, but my understanding is they don't know whether after one vertebral joint has been fused, whether this puts significantly more stress on others. There's at least some data suggesting that other disks have a greater tendency to herniate after a nearby fusion, so that would be a legitimate concern. But the numbers on this are still small, and they definitely wouldn't scare me away from trading for him if I were a GM.

Finally, his neck will be somewhat less flexible and that could increase the risk of either a whiplash injury or perhaps even a concussion. I have no direct knowledge about these. I suspect that with everything that's available in helmets a concussion isn't much more likely than it otherwise might be; whiplash would be my biggest injury concern. But even if that happens it's not going to be career ending and I suspect (but cannot prove) that the risk is small.

I think a bigger concern may be mental, not physical. Again speaking from personal experience, it was a long time post-op before I didn't think of myself as being delicate, even though I "knew" that I wasn't. Manning could easily come back a bit contact-shy, and maybe hurry throws as a result. I don't know how to judge that possibility.

you said your numbness and pain was gone within a week. i think there is reason to believe that manning did not recover as well as you did.

I guess my main point is that not all injuries are created equal. Obviously we'd feel better about Manning if he hadn't been out of the game for a year with a serious injury and significant corrective surgery, but I think people are going to look at it and say zomg, it was that bad, he'll never be right again, and that's just not indicated at all. this is not an ACL or Tommy John surgery or even rotator cuff, where the soft tissue damage is never completely correctable and scar tissue either impedes motion or provides a significant re-injury nexus. It's much more like a broken bone that happened to need a very long time to heal.

I haven't read details about that (for him), so I don't know.

Also, I didn't quite say that. I said most of it was, I think. A tiny bit of numbness actually never went away. Assuming it's in his throwing hand and arm (I think it is), then we absolutely need to see that he's throwing well again. But if he is, that's the sort of thing that is not going to get worse, it either keeps improving or stays the same. The pressure is off the nerves now.

I think that for SE purposes what I'm saying can be divided into two questions: will GMs be comfortable trading for him, and should they be. With respect to the first question, it's almost certain that some will and some won't, but there will be enough people saying things like what I'm saying that one of the teams that needs a quarterback is likely to be willing to shell out big picks/personnel for him. Maybe not the team with which he theoretically fits best, though, because there may be more that I don't know and even if I'm completely right, some GMs are irrational.

The other question, whether he'll work out well wherever he goes, obviously I don't know. There is a greater risk of various physical problems than if this hadn't happened. But I think that most SEers who don't know much about this particular injury will tend to overestimate that risk.

alternatively "experimental euro stem cell procedure tho"

ok lets go

1. Packers

2. 49ers
3. Steelers
4. Ravens
5. Saints
6. Patriots
7. Lions

8. Texans - Of course way higher w/ Schaub still taking snaps. Have to see how Leinart will do
9. Bears - Same w/ Texans, prob a top 5 team w/ Cutlah. They're pretty much going to be terrible without him.

10. Cowboys
11. Giants
12. Raiders
13. Falcons

14. Jets
15. Bengals
16. Eagles

17. Titans
18. Broncos

19. Chargers
20. Buccaneers
21. Dolphins
22. Bills

23. Seahawks
24. Panthers
25. Cardinals
26. Browns

27. Redskins
28. Jaguars
29. Chiefs

30. Vikings
31. Rams

32. Colts

Somewhere today, there better be a headline that reads "Neckbeard Cut".

Texans above Ravens. Flacco has been bad, they both have elite defenses, and the Texans running game is much, much better. Teams already were stacking the box against the Texans and they couldn't stop it. The offensive line is just overwhelming. Plus while they lost Schaub, AJ comes back after missing most of the year.

Orton to Bears, won't start until that one dude sucks it up or gets hurt

But you said Colts would trade the pick, which clearly is inferior to picking the guy and developing him

Just to be clear, you are 100% making this **** up and have no idea if this is true.

ESPN suggests Bears won't claim Orton on waivers, because Bears have 3rd worst waiver priority in NFL.

I think Texans makes a lot of sense, but apparently they think Leinart is the man. Yeah I don't see that going well for them.

Cut him, hope Chicago picks him up, improve Chicago's chances of beating Oakland. Expert move I must say.

Not really, Jets would be the most frightening. I would also be fairly scarred if a healthy and back to the old form Manning somehow ended in Cincy despite Dalton. Him+AJ+Simpson+Gresham and a good defense = demage. They'd probably manage to keep some decent picks as well given they got a bunch of them.
Arizona doesn't have the pieces imo, Minny I could see being legit but tough division...SF would be scarry as well.

Don't have the 20;10 numbers for Ford but I'd think he's faster all around. Also I can only imagine what the Raiders could do with a guy like Cutler...they could basically run the short 5 yard easy pickup routes down the filed with all WRs :P

Still isn't Oakland the last AFC team other than Pitts, Indy, and New England to make the Superbowl?

OH LOOK WHEN WE GET BACK FROM COMMERCIAL WE'LL DEBATE ANOTHER ******ED QUESTION ABOUT TIM TEBOW HYCHCAHCHAHCA

/ranting about the media I choose to consume.

these guys are funny on espn right now skip and steven a smith on tebow. skips been on tebow so long and hard it adds to the tebow drama imo.

i heard kellen clemens is getting the start over leinart, truth behind that?

I hope not.

Yeah looking back that was a really weird post....of all the teams that would be "frightening" with Manning, the Vikings and Cardinals definitely aren't the first two that come to mind. I think Balt, NYJ, and SF would be be legit GOAT type teams with a fully healthy Manning.

I just don't see NYJ/Baltimore giving up on their current QBs for manning. Considering the impact Manning has had on the Colts I don't see why he could not make Arizona an instant contender. SF would be a good option, but it all depends on what kind of compensation the Colts would be looking for.

Texans running game only better because Ravens refuse to admit Flacco sucks.

Out of all the starting QBs in the league, Mark Sanchez will have to worry about keeping his job this offseason more than any of them, so I don't see why you're so sure about them staying with him.

Theres 10x more of a chance that the Jets look to replace Sanchez after this season than the Viking look to replace Ponder. The Jets are SB contenders and Sanchez has had 3 years to prove himself; The Vikings are rebuilding and Ponder looks good for a rookie. Theres also more chance that the Jets replace Sanchez than the Cardinals give up on Kolb after only one year.

Regardless I wasn't commenting on the likelihood of him being traded to any one team, I was just commenting on singling out Minnesota and Arizona as teams that would be 'frightening' with Manning when, to me, it seems like theres a ton of other teams who would be much better with Manning than those two teams would be.