Former NFL Team Doctor Not Optimistic About Shaq Barrett’s Knee
December 28th, 2021
How much missed time?
An orthopedic surgeon who used to be an NFL team doctor seems a bit spooked about yesterday’s news that Bucs sack king Shaq Barrett has both an MCL and an ACL sprain.
Dr. David Chao, the former Chargers team doctor, has made a cottage industry of offering background information on football injuries. He sells his intel to various sites and is often a regular guest on SiriusXM NFL Radio to offer medical insight into injuries, recovery methods and rehabilitation timetables.
Learning that Shaq has an injured MCL and ACL, Chao took to Twitter yesterday afternoon and suggested it wouldn’t be a shock at all if Shaq missed a playoff game.
A sprain is a tear.
Partial ACL tear could keep Shaq Barrett out into playoffs. See #SportsInjuryCentral at https://t.co/cVbaQZLL8R for details. https://t.co/yjBrgTaCMP— David J. Chao – ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc) December 27, 2021
Now Joe must offer a disclaimer as Joe always does with Chao’s intel. Chao does not have access to any Bucs players’ medical records or tests. Has never had Shaq in his office, nor has ever examined Shaq and likely has never spoken with Shaq or his doctor or Bucs team doctors.
So Choa offers general information based on his experience and sometimes watching the injury on film. In other words, Chao shares educated guesswork, though it does give Bucs fans a window into what can be expected.
With an injured/hobbled Shaq and a neutered Jason Pierre-Paul due to his torn rotator cuff, the Bucs will certainly need help from other members of their talented defensive front.
Enjoy Today’s Ira Kaufman Podcast
December 28th, 2021 at 11:05 am
Anyone else getting m sick of hearing David chao giving his medics opinion on people he’s never seen or evaluated in person every single football season?
Everyone already knows a sprain is a tear with this stuff. Nothing groundbreaking. Sorry just getting tired of these educated guesses being ‘newsworthy’.
I like Chao as a person. He was the surgeon who repaired my torn labrum several years ago. But you know what they say… opinions are like a-holes, every has one. Me included 😝
/end rant
December 28th, 2021 at 11:17 am
Theres different ways of pressure QB. If secondary is fully healthy and depth players had their share of experience , bowles can dial up some blitz.
December 28th, 2021 at 11:21 am
It didn’t even look that bad judging from the field. Who knows.
December 28th, 2021 at 11:26 am
His last play of game was second half after sustaining injury at end of first
I rewatched game and his last play was anthony nelson sack. He was in background (close up) with huge smile on face and did not show any signs/pain/limp
Now these guys are tough as nails but again hoping just out for regular season
We need him big time
December 28th, 2021 at 11:30 am
Sprain is a tear? Never heard that before
December 28th, 2021 at 11:32 am
Nelson and JTS been showin’ out. Hope SB is ready, but I don’t think it will be a game changing loss.
December 28th, 2021 at 11:38 am
@Robert idk about that. They need him.
December 28th, 2021 at 11:40 am
Since our secondary is back healthy, our pass rush is a bit less important……and I agree…..without records and other missing info….this is purely speculation…..
December 28th, 2021 at 11:43 am
Just what I said the other day. Never get overly optimistic when the initial report is a “minor” injury. The team will deal with it. Yes, it would be a blow if Shaq is out for the playoffs, but between Covid and injuries, no team is playing at full strength. You’ve got to play with what you’ve got, and may the best team win. That would be the Bucs!
December 28th, 2021 at 11:51 am
Are you kiddin me? Our pass rush is not that important? What the hell are you smokin?
December 28th, 2021 at 11:54 am
If we had LVD I’d send D.W45 on a lot more blitzes. I know he blitzes a lot already but if we don’t have jpp or Shaq then we are going to need help and with LVD being out someone needs to man the middle. Maybe bring in Winfield or Edwards to help out in the LB position
December 28th, 2021 at 11:56 am
Meet with Suh’s dietician. He/she got Vea recovered by the playoffs.
December 28th, 2021 at 11:58 am
Would Jason or Bruce overstate an injury to gain a competitive edge? I’d be disappointed if they didn’t. Shaq will be fine, but let’s keep the playoff teams guessing how to game plan against our D-line.
December 28th, 2021 at 12:04 pm
Rapaport say “generally” a 3 week injury. That is just as useful information as a doc that hasnt seen the patient.
December 28th, 2021 at 12:05 pm
Both are sprained? No he won’t be ready for at least the 1st game. My uneducated guess of a sprain bring a tear is that big ligaments stretched more than they were supposed to without tearing away from bone but that extra stretching did cause tearing within the ligaments themselves. All they can do now is completely isolate and support them so he doesn’t use them at all.
December 28th, 2021 at 12:28 pm
TBbucsFan^^^ that might be the dumbest take of the year!! Did you watch the superbowl last year?
December 28th, 2021 at 12:28 pm
we are Fu***** if barrett is not playing in the playoffs.
December 28th, 2021 at 12:35 pm
Joe honestly never knew or heard that before. Then again Joe is not a medical professional.
December 28th, 2021 at 12:53 pm
Season ending injury. Nothing Bucs can do about it.
December 28th, 2021 at 12:54 pm
I don’t know about Shaq but personally messed up my knee. Diagnosed as an MCL sprain. Did an MRI and the evaluation was the “contiguous fibers of the ACL are seen intact.” 3 weeks of therapy, but it never got right, and after that kept noticing my knee giving out because of the ACL was actually partially torn. If I remember correctly, VJax (may God rest his soul) had a partially torn ACL that dogged him. So even with MRIs today, nothing is a sure bet.
And, there are different grades of sprains, and a sprain is not the same as a tear, while both involve some degree of tissue injury or damage. A sprain can sometimes make it difficult to diagnose a tear. I don’t know that from doctorin’ but I know it from lawyerin’ when the docs don’t (and really can’t always) catch it all. Lots of insurance battles over that one.
No one really knows but Shaq’s medical team.
December 28th, 2021 at 12:55 pm
Google is your friend. MCL/ACL sprains are graded at 3 levels. 1(minor), 2(moderate), 3(severe). Definitions are provided. What level is Shaq at? Makes a big difference.
December 28th, 2021 at 1:17 pm
@”…Our pass rush is not that important?…”
—————–
with the QBs that we are going to face(running all directions like neutrinos), who is going to chase them down…..
Our D with the good rushing is average, without it is mediocre.
December 28th, 2021 at 1:30 pm
A sprain of a ligament in the knee is a tear. Not sure why some here suggesting that it is not a tear.
December 28th, 2021 at 2:00 pm
Hense the word former!
December 28th, 2021 at 2:54 pm
What ever happened to a tear being a tear, and a sprain being a sprain?
December 28th, 2021 at 3:00 pm
grade 1 would not be a tear ,, grade 2 is partial tear, grade3 -complete tear..
IF its a grade 1 ; he could be back in 3-4 wks with rest and ice to keep any swelling down..
December 28th, 2021 at 3:01 pm
I smile when I’m hurt too.
December 28th, 2021 at 3:25 pm
Leighroy, because a sprain can also be a tear.
December 29th, 2021 at 12:18 am
when I drink I become an online doctor.
Shaq will be fine!
December 29th, 2021 at 12:58 pm
“Are you kiddin me? Our pass rush is not that important? What the hell are you smokin?”
**************
Except that’s not what he said. Here’s what he did say:
“Since our secondary is back healthy, our pass rush is a bit less important