Former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Zach Orr was forced to retire back in January due to a congenital spinal condition, but the 25-year-old is considering a comeback after doctors recently gave him some positive news.
In an appearance on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” Wednesday, Orr revealed that doctors have given him new diagnoses over the past several months. Orr was initially told that he could risk paralysis or death if he continued playing after doctors discovered one of his vertebrae was not fully formed, but Orr recently met with West Virginia spine specialist Sanford Emery at the suggestion of former Baylor quarterback Seth Russell. Emery offered a more optimistic outlook.
Orr says he was told by Emery that the only concern would be if he played football with herniated discs, and the herniated discs he suffered during the 2016 season have subsided. According to Emery, Orr is not at any more risk than a player with a fully formed spine.
While that’s tremendous news for Orr, the Ravens may end up kicking themselves. As Mike Garafolo of NFL Network notes, Orr will be a restricted free agent if he decides to continue playing. The former North Texas star never filed retirement papers, and the Ravens did not place him on the reserve/retired list because they didn’t think it mattered. Orr would have been a restricted free agent, but the team also chose not to extend a restricted free agent tender to him because of the circumstances.
Orr, who was among the top 10 in the NFL last year with 132 total tackles, is now free to sign with any team. The Ravens had one of the best linebacker duos in football last year with Orr and former Alabama star C.J. Mosley, so it will be interesting to see if they bring him back.
