Doctor analysis: Richard Sherman would be out no matter what

SEATTLE — Even if Richard Sherman’s Achilles tendon hadn’t ruptured, the injury he was dealing with would have taken him out of the game, eventually.

The Seahawks cornerback had been on the team’s injury report before the Thursday night game against the Arizona Cardinals when he limped off the field in the third quarter.

Dr. Gordon Cohen says even if Sherman’s tendon hadn’t fully ruptured, at the very least he would have had to stop playing and rest.

“Treatment for a partial tear is either rest or to have surgery,” he told Seattle’s Morning News. It’s possible that is why he chose to keep playing, he added.

Sherman's injury was season-ending. He knew it immediately after he fell to the ground, trying to break in front of Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald. Fans knew shortly after.

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Sherman’s injury isn’t uncommon, especially for professional athletes. As Cohen explains it, an athlete’s muscle strength will exceed tensile strength; the combination of strength and explosive movement can rupture the tendon.

Though there are concerns about the Seahawks' defensive playing without Sherman, Dr. Cohen says we shouldn't worry about the 29-year-old's overall health and future. Typically, Cohen says, once a tendon has healed, it is as strong or stronger than it was before. Of course, it will take months of rest and rehabilitation.

“Once it’s healed and he’s fully rehabbed, he should be back to where he was.”

Listen to the entire conversation with Dr. Cohen here.

Cox Media Group