According to Hunt, there are several key steps for Welker to return to competition. The most critical aspect is staying ahead of any inflammation that occurs as his activity progresses. As the workouts become more aggressive and the knee joint absorbs the repeated pounding of running, cutting, turning and increasing speed, close monitoring for any signs of swelling, followed by backing off activity as necessary, will help protect against major setbacks.
The next component, says Hunt, will be for Welker to "get his explosiveness and release off the line." That top speed and agility, so critical to Welker's game in particular, will be one of the elements he has to work diligently to regain.
The final, and perhaps most obvious, event in Welker's healing process that will signal his true recovery is his ability to absorb contact. When eyeing OTAs as a potential predictor of return to competition, Hunt notes that they "don't represent contact and they don't represent collisions." And it's not just any type of contact that lets everyone know a player is truly back; it's how a player responds to that first blind hit.
"We're not talking about the first hit you're prepared for; it's the one you didn't see coming, that knocks you off your feet and twists your knee, and you're able to get up and walk away," Hunt said.
