New York Giants tight end Larry Donnell suffered a scary neck injury that cost him eight games of the 2015 season, and there is now a concern that he could never play in the NFL again.
Paul Schwartz of the New York Post is reporting Donnell may be forced to retire because of the neck injury. If this does come to fruition, then it would be the third Giants player in recent memory to have his career cut short by a neck injury (linebacker Antonio Pierce and running back David Wilson).
Donnell, who is just 27 years old, has played three seasons with Big Blue. During his short career he’s shown some promise as a play-making tight end, catching 95 passes for 877 yards and eight touchdowns.
Giants general manager Jerry Reese noted Donnell has yet to receive medical clearance to play, and Pro Football Focus reported him saying of Donnell: “Hopefully he’ll be able to continue to play. We’re expecting him to be back, but necks can be tricky. We’ll have to wait and see where that goes.”
If Donnell is unable to continue his career in the NFL, it would certainly be a difficult blow for him personally, and for the Giants — a team that has struggled to find consistent play at the tight end position since the days of Jeremy Shockey.
That said, Donnell’s long-term health and quality of life rank so much higher in terms of importance than any short-term NFL dreams.