New York Jets wide receiver Eric Decker is out for the remainder of the 2016 season, and there appears to be some doubt if he’ll even be ready to start 2017.
The Jets announced that Decker, who was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury last week, underwent surgery on Tuesday for a separate injury to his hip, which carries a six-month recovery timetable. Decker won’t be able to go undergo shoulder surgery, which itself has an estimated recovery of eight months, until he’s off crutches.
Speaking with reporters shortly after the announcement was made, Jets head coach Todd Bowles expressed some doubt about Decker’s availability to begin the 2017 season, per Ralph Vacchiano of SportsNet New York.
Jets coach Todd Bowles on whether WR Eric Decker will miss part of 2017 season: "It's probably too early for that. It'll probably be close."
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RVacchianoSNY) October 18, 2016
The shoulder procedure is inevitable for Decker, but the good news is that he doesn’t really have a history of major injuries other than a foot surgery he had as a senior in college. The former AFC receiving touchdowns leader may need at least a few weeks to get off crutches, but hopefully once that happens and Decker gets his shoulder repaired, the two injuries can heal concurrently with roughly 10-and-a-half months to go before the 2017 NFL season kicks off.
