Lions safety Louis Delmas underwent surgery knee surgery Tuesday at the clinic of noted orthopedist Dr. James Andrews. That information was released by the team Wednesday, and it seems simple enough, right?
Wrong.
With the Lions, there is soreness, and then there is soreness. Who's to know what the word means anymore?
While it's not out of the ordinary for NFL players to undergo corrective procedures, there's usually some type of indication that one may be necessary before it happens. In Delmas' case, however, the Lions simply classified his week-long absence from practice as “soreness.” Whenever the subject of Delmas' health was broached, Jim Schwartz said the safety was day-to-day.
Simple soreness is one thing. A condition that requires a corrective procedure is another.
For his part, Schwartz did concede that Delmas' condition proved to be worse than he originally believed. “First, [the knee] was sore, and it was ‘OK, take a day off,' ” Schwartz said. “Then the next day it was still sore, and then [Delmas] tried to go again and he tried to get back in, and we just weren’t getting anywhere.”
Although Delmas is now listed as week-to-week following his surgery, the concerning issue for Detroit's fans should be the fact that Lions' officials seem intent on listing some injuries -- no matter the severity -- as "soreness" when asked why players miss workouts. The hamstring condition that has sidelined another key part of the Detroit's 2012 plans, RB Mikel Leshoure, for most of camp is also officially classified as soreness. It's true that hamstring and knee injuries have different rehab protocols, but the fact that Delmas went from “soreness” to surgery casts doubt on the true health of any player with that status attached to their name.
In fairness, it must be pointed out that despite the frustrating nature of their vague injury classifications, the Lions aren't breaking any rules. The NFL doesn't mandate any formal injury reports until the regular season begins, so the teams are free to answer questions about players' health with any descriptive term they choose. Still, Schwartz' answer when he was asked to provide a more detailed explanation of Delmas' surgery left something to be desired:
“Did you really think I was going to give you a copy of the surgeon's report?” he quipped.
A copy of the surgeon's report? No.
A somewhat more transparent picture of his team's health? Absolutely.
It's not an unreasonable request, particularly because Detroit's performance when players like Delmas aren't on the field is vastly different from their results when the lineup is at full strength. Delmas is a leader inside the locker room and on the field, and LB Stephen Tulloch says Detroit's camp workouts aren't the same when Delmas isn't on the field. “[Delmas' absence] is noticeable,” he said. “He carries the back end.”
The attention surrounding the Lions has increased following last season's playoff appearance, and Lions fans have increased their investment at the box office. If nothing else, fans deserve a clear picture of the health of players like Delmas, and the rest of the team they support.
Follow Lions reporter John Kreger on Twitter @CBSSportsNFLDET and @johnkreger.
