clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Packers Free Safety Nick Collins: How Realistic is His Comeback?

Following Nick Collins' tweets about a making a comeback, the question becomes how realistic his return is for the Packers.

By Jason B. Hirschhorn
Mike Ehrmann

Packers players (both current and former) tweet strange things all the time. Generally, this behavior has been reserved for the likes of Jermichael Finley or Nick Barnett.

Now it appears former Packers All-Pro safety Nick Collins has entered the fray.

There's not a lot to interpret there. For whatever reason, Collins feels his health is no longer a barrier to playing NFL football. Remember that following his gruesome neck injury during the second week of the 2011 season, everyone from Green Bay's medical staff to Allen Herman (Collins' agent) felt his playing days were over.

The question then is whether something has changed regarding Collins' medical status. It may have taken a few days, but ESPN's Jason Wilde reached Allen Herman for comment. According to Herman, there has been no such breakthrough.

"Reached on his cell phone Tuesday evening, Herman said that Collins' medical status had not changed and that doctors still believe Collins is at too much risk to return to football. Herman did not specify which doctors had said that."

The last sentence is particularly interesting, because Collins disputed it on Twitter.

Collins seems to assert that no doctor has informed him of this heightened risk for injury. While it's fair to assume Collins would know whether doctors have cleared him, it's also fair to assume that had that been true, the Packers or some other team would currently employ his services. Given Herman's remarks and the fact that no team has made a serious inquiry regarding Collins since the Packers released him two offseasons ago, the more likely scenario is that the former-Packer's comments are simply wishful thinking.

That doesn't mean this story is over. Keep your internet machines tuned to Acme Packing Company for the latest Nick Collins developments.

Jason Hirschhorn covers the Green Bay Packers for Acme Packing Company. He also serves as the Editor-in-Chief for Hook'em Headlines. His work has previously appeared on Beats Per Minute, Lombardi Ave, and College Hoops Net.
More from Acme Packing Company

More From Acme Packing Company