Jason Pierre-Paul Now Rehab Ready
August 27th, 2019
Plenty of gray area remains when it comes to the football health of Jason Pierre-Paul, but a few dark clouds drifted away today.
NFL Network reported that JPP was cleared by Bucs doctors, and his doctor, to begin rehabilitation following a neck fracture in early May. That does not mean cleared to play football, only cleared to rehab to get to the point where real football training can begin.
The Bucs will return from their Week 7 bye and head to Nashville to play the Titans on Sunday, Oct. 27 — hopefully with at least a 3-3 record. Maybe, just maybe, JPP is ready to play exactly two months from today.
It’s a fun thought, but Joe wouldn’t bet a nickel on JPP returning to the field this season for the Bucs.
However, JPP is an interesting poker chip. He’s due a non-guaranteed $12.5 million in 2020, a season in which the Bucs could be contenders. That’s a low salary for a top-flight pass rusher.
Joe has no access to Bucs medical records, nor would Joe trust any source on the real extent of JPP’s injury. But if he can get back to the field this season and show anything at all that looks like his old self, then he’d have value for next year, either as a trade piece or in-house.
At this late date, it might be worth the Bucs gambling on JPP recovering, though Joe wouldn’t quibble at all if the Bucs cut him and banked the salary cap money that they can use now or rollover to next season.
August 27th, 2019 at 9:09 pm
He plays
August 27th, 2019 at 9:18 pm
JPP is a dude and u best bet your nickels he’ll suit up for us AS LONG AS HE IS HEALTHY WHILE WE ARE WITHIN 1 GAME OF .500 (OR BETTER, LOL) and playoffs are in play).
August 27th, 2019 at 9:23 pm
Dude deteoit released zach zenner bucs need to go sign him
August 27th, 2019 at 9:23 pm
Great so he may play next year. Depending on what he gets into next off season.
August 27th, 2019 at 9:31 pm
I just want to see Suh, JPP and LVD on the field together.
Closest thing we’ll ever get to Sapp, Brooks and Rice.
August 27th, 2019 at 9:36 pm
Just want to see Suh, Vea, Gholston, Nassib, LVD, White and JPP all on the field together…..
August 27th, 2019 at 9:39 pm
Suh Vea LVD and JPP
August 27th, 2019 at 9:41 pm
Contenders in 2020 lmao!!!! Stop it joe pull your head out of the sand….
August 27th, 2019 at 10:06 pm
Lol y’all about playoffs … week 7 record will be 1-5
August 27th, 2019 at 10:37 pm
Only place we need to see Gholston is cut to utilize salary on o line trade
August 27th, 2019 at 10:46 pm
Agree with you 100% Joe. I wouldn’t give a nickel either that JPP will make it back on the field for the Bucs this season. Too much risk far as I’m concerned. If the Bucs pay JPP the $7.4 mil his contract calls for, they can kiss off upgrading the OLine this year. $2 mil Cap space won’t buy much. I still say put him on the NFI list, don’t pay him the $7.4 mil unless he makes it back later in the season (on a per game basis), and use the savings to grab 2 OLinemen now. FIX what needs fixing now.
August 27th, 2019 at 11:19 pm
picking up cut lineman from other teams is not going to fix the line,are line just have to get better.
August 27th, 2019 at 11:19 pm
I want to see JPP back on the field as much as anybody, but my biggest fear is that the Bucs bring him back too soon out of desperation and get him seriously hurt
August 27th, 2019 at 11:35 pm
Actually I wish he could play OL!
August 27th, 2019 at 11:46 pm
Great news indeed. Heal well, rehab smartly and only come back if you are 100%.
Go Bucs!
In BA I Trust!
August 28th, 2019 at 12:32 am
He’s right on track. Reports say he had an odontoid fracture. Typical protocol is being in a hard cervical collar for 16 weeks. It’s been 16 weeks. 8 more weeks gets us to the end of October. Understand, his entire reason for waking up and breathing right now is to now rehab his cervical spine and be ready to play when cleared. The team has 10’s of millions of dollars invested in him and they’re throwing every cutting edge treatment they can at him. Again, he’s right on track. With this type of injury, there should be no setbacks if everyone follows the protocol. If the timeframe is end of October/beginning of November, he should be able to play. Hopefully we’re in a position where he has something to play for…
August 28th, 2019 at 5:46 am
Hey, you never know. It would be nice to have him as insurance later in the season. Injuries are going to happen.
August 28th, 2019 at 7:10 am
When is the latest he can be cut?…….Or can we work out some sort of injury settlement and resign him for next year?
Surely there must be some options….
August 28th, 2019 at 10:45 am
The salary that is due him will not count against our cap if he is place on NFI/IR/PUP! The Bucs may not have put him there yet, but they will. That will give them 7 weeks to see if he heals up at no cost to the cap, and then, if he does come back, it would be prorated from what he is due at that point.
So all this talk about cutting him to save cap is needless.