T.J. Lang Recovering From Wrist Surgery

by Brandon on May 12, 2010 8:00 AM CDT in Green Bay Packers News

It appears that Green Bay Packers OL T.J. Lang will be out until training camp as he recovers from wrist surgery. Via Greg Bedard at JSOnline.com:

Lang, 22, fractured the scaphoid bone in his wrist during practice in December. The injury didn't improve during the offseason, so surgery was the next step. According to online medical journals, blood supply to the scaphoid bone can often be tricky and is essential for recovery.

But Packers doctors feel good about the surgery and that Lang will have a full recovery in time for training camp.

After the bones heal he should be as good as new, but the healing didn't seem to be going well. Training camp is months away and he has all summer to get better. It's just something to watch, and I'm glad they did the surgery in April instead of September.

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never knew about this!

Where did this come from? I never heard a thing about this injury. Must not have been affecting him too much but I hope he has a quick recovery. Wrist surgury sucks. I had that done a couple years ago for a TINY bone in my wrist…I still don’t have full movement back today.

by TrevorR on May 12, 2010 8:55 AM CDT reply actions

surgery

I had this exact surgery a few years ago… I had a cast for 2 months up nearly the elbow, but the bone is tiny and it breaks in half, if the 1st cast isn’t set perfectly the blood won’t get to the furthest end and it requires surgery… After surgery I had a cast for 3 more months, 2 of which are over the elbow. Once he get the cast off it should be fine. But the problem is he won’t be able to do much lifting! He’ll have to do leg machines, but won’t be able to do any free wts or power movements.. And he’ll only be able to do single arm lifting for the good arm! He is also going to miss alot of development in the OTA’s which are really helpful in learning the techniques and responsibilities for playing RT…

My wrist healed fine… It was stiff and weak, but w/ some stretching and lifting it got alot better in a month!!

by Strohman on May 12, 2010 9:50 AM CDT reply actions

Yeah same thing here. I was in a cast for 3 months. It didn’t heal. They tried it for 3 more months…still nothing. Then came surgery…3 more months. IN the end it STILL didn’t heal right for me. I think in my case it was an old injury I had never properly fixed and then it was reaggrevated but it was too late. Doubt that will happen here. That was a BRUTAL year though…its amazing how little you can do when you can’t use your dominant hand! Typing sucked! I started getting into running that year so I could do something athletic!

by TrevorR on May 12, 2010 12:49 PM CDT up reply actions

Thanks Strohman and TrevorR

The healing process worries me, but I didn’t have any stories to tell like your stories. A buddy had a broken ankle that needed multiple surgeries, similar to what TrevorR went through (luckily he only needed one surgery), but I wasn’t sure it would be the same with a wrist. It’s not a long-term problem but it could slow him in camp.

by Brandon on May 12, 2010 11:07 PM CDT up reply actions

The problem with that bone is that its REALLY small and there isn’t much bloodflow that runs around it, hence the long recovery time in a cast. The scaffoid is the size of a finger nail (actually smaller). Most likely he’ll be good to go for camp but we’ll see…I am sure they have great surgeons that worked on him.

by TrevorR on May 13, 2010 8:17 AM CDT up reply actions

running

Did The extra wt on one side cause you to run in circles?! LOL

I did some leg work and biking (stationary) just to stay in shape, but really couldn’t do any upper body work. I’m sure the Packers trainers will make sure he does plenty of single arm work…

by Strohman on May 12, 2010 12:55 PM CDT reply actions

cautiously pessimistic

Thanks for the insight, TrevorR and Strohman.

I’ve learned that it’s unrealistic to count on guys who are overcoming surgeries like this. More often than not, their effectiveness winds up getting de-railed. At least for this year, I think we’ll have to plan on Lang being limited in terms of both availability and productivity. My prediction for his year this year: he’ll be back in a limited capacity at some point and from time-to-time. Anything past that is gravy and not to be expected.

Oh well. At least it’s not lisfranc or microfracture surgery. …or turf toe! That stupid turf toe injury… I mean, for how benign it’s name sounds (like, “aw look, he’s got turf toe, isn’t that cute”), turf toe can really screw a guy up for a long time. At least with an arm injury, a player can do stuff to keep his core fitness up to par.

by Curly Lambeau on May 12, 2010 1:09 PM CDT reply actions

limited

I don’t know about it being that bad! I think by October he should easily be back to full strength. THe main thing that concerns me is missing the OTA’s… Learning to play RT in the OTA’s would have been ideal, now he’ll have to learn most of it in training camp. So, if he does have to play RT he may not be as good as he could have w/ the offseason to learn the techniques. As long as Tauscher is healthy it won’t be a big problem, but If Tausch goes down I would worry more than had he been able to go thru normal OTA’s.

by Strohman on May 12, 2010 1:21 PM CDT up reply actions

Right, I know. I’m not sayin I’m just sayin.

It’s just, like I said, I’m cautiously pessimistic. Hopefully I’m wrong, but I remember thinking the same thing when Grant hurt his hamstring in ‘08. Some injuries just linger all year. Hopefully this isn’t one of those.

by Curly Lambeau on May 12, 2010 8:08 PM CDT up reply actions

From personal experience… I would say, No, it won’t linger too long unless the bones don’t fuse and regenerate.

by Strohman on May 12, 2010 10:47 PM CDT up reply actions

Good news

I don’t think he was the main plan for starting this year. That means if all goes well then we aren’t relying on Lang too much.

If Lang is a RT, well then we still have Tauscher starting. If Tauscher goes down then Bulaga can step in at right if there’s real trouble and Lang isn’t ready to go.

If Lang is a LG, well then Spitz and Colledge are battling out for that spot. If one of them goes down the other should be able to fill in acceptably until Lang is back up to form.

by PackApologist on May 12, 2010 2:48 PM CDT up reply actions

…and there goes our depth.

by Curly Lambeau on May 12, 2010 8:09 PM CDT up reply actions

NoooooOOOOO!

Now the odds he steps in this year and dominates to the point where I can start buying Lang merch is slimmer than ever! :(

(Lang is my last name btw)

by Archibaldcrane on May 12, 2010 4:09 PM CDT reply actions

haha you should definitely get a Lang jersey then

This is how I want Mark Kotsay to die, or he can just walk away from baseball, either way, I'm happy.
Driving a burning car into a burning building where they store chainsaws and acid and then the firemen come but they’re actually alligators in acid proof fireman disguises and they spray you with vinegar, lemon juice, and salt and swallow you whole and inside the alligator’s stomach is this little guy who says, "This is my home get the hell out!" and he shoots you with a shotgun full of nails and sics his pet badger on you and saws your leg off and he kicks you out and you get a staph infection in the alligator’s colon and you’re pooped out into the sewer where you drown in filth and the city power main breaks and lands in your eye electrocuting you and your spleen explodes and you find out you have AIDS and a Ninja Turtle fucks you to death and now he has AIDS and you’re covered in radioactive ooze and your ass becomes a mutant crab that starts pinching your ass and a hobo steals your skin and they take you to the morgue and freeze you to death and the coroner is that damn Ninja Turtle who fucks you to death again and gives you gonorrhea and a spider lays eggs in your hair and they bury you alive and you suffocate and the bottom falls out of your grave and you fall into a bottomless pit and you go to Hell. to then be tauned by the devil and raped!

-BobbySouthSide

by blackoutsox on May 12, 2010 10:11 PM CDT up reply actions

Look at that tire

the kid that owns that bike needs to add some air in the tires. TJ is riding on the rim.

I think Newhouse takes over as the utility man on the line and TJ backs up Tauscher. It’s much better to keep the guy in one position. I see LG as being between Spitz and Colledge.

Speaking of Newhouse, why does everyone say he’s not a LT? he played it in college and was against Murphy every day in practice. He’s faster than Bulaga, has longer arms and bigger hands. He’s got comparable strength (one less rep at 22). Newhouse is an inch shorter and a few pounds heavier, but so what?

by gern blanston on May 12, 2010 4:14 PM CDT reply actions

The staff doesn't know where his true position is

He apparently struggled at times at LT. He could still be our future RT. He’s kind of similar to TJ Lang in that sense because us fans along with the staff don’t know which position best suits him and puts him in the best position to succeed. It’s either LG or RT. We just don’t know yet.

"No player is greater than a team."
-Vince Lombardi

by Jabooty on May 12, 2010 8:48 PM CDT up reply actions

Newhouse

I haven’t heard anyone say he’s NOT a LT, but its pretty much assumed that Bulaga will be the LT, unless he does poorly. My guess is it has to do w/ level of competition, but cant say for sure. Bulaga fits the mold of a LT more then Newhouse, who fits the OG mold better, but your right about Newhouse having the advantage in weight and arm reach, maybe mobility.

BTW – It was Jerry Hughes he went against in practice, not Murphy… LOL

by Strohman on May 12, 2010 5:29 PM CDT reply actions

You've heard something about Newhouse more than he's just a project?

by PackApologist on May 12, 2010 5:40 PM CDT up reply actions

Project

Oh, he is a project… Don’t think for a second he is NFL ready now or even this season… But he is very smart and athletic so his learning curve should be shorter than some projects. I think he’ll be ready in a year or so… He mostly played in a 2 point stance at TCU. They ran a spread offense where the OL don’t get down into a 3 point stance much if at all. So technically he is a longer way from the field than Bulaga who played from a 3 point stance primarily!!! Its hard to relearn your blocking from a 3 point when you’ve been out of a 2 point your entire college career!

by Strohman on May 12, 2010 6:11 PM CDT up reply actions