Jeremy Maclin was surprisingly released by the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this month, though the veteran wide receiver was coming off the worst statistical season of his career. How big of a role did his groin injury play in that?
A very significant one, it would seem.
Maclin missed four games in 2016 with a groin injury, but the extent was never clear. In an appearance on Adam Schefter’s “Know Them From Adam” podcast this week, Maclin was asked about the report that the Chiefs felt he had lost a step. His response was that it’s tough to be at full strength when you’re playing with a torn groin muscle.
“I tore my groin last year. If I’m supposed to be just as fast with a torn groin, more power to them,” Maclin said. “I guess you just have to wait and see. I don’t really have anything else to say about that. Everybody’s entitled to their own opinion. I’ll still be able to get open and still be able to make plays.”
When asked how much the injury impacted him, Maclin said he didn’t want to make excuses but made it clear it was a major factor.
“I missed about four weeks with a torn groin. I came back and I was able to play,” he said. “I can’t sit here and tell you I was 100 percent, but I’m also not gonna sit here and make excuses. At the end of the day, I didn’t play as well as I could have last year.”
After posting back-to-back seasons of more than 1,000 yards receiving, Maclin caught just 44 passes for 536 yards and two touchdowns last year. The way he was informed he was being released was about as cold as it gets, but he said he understands football is a business.
If he can stay healthy, Maclin should have a lot of good football left in him. The Baltimore Ravens could be a perfect fit with Steve Smith having retired.
