How the Patriots have handled Armstead’s injury/illness/recovery

[Brady6]

I was curious to hear what others thought of how the Patriots have handled Armstead’s current absence for what is reported to be an infection?

As someone who was very excited about the signing when it occurred and even more so after all of the positive reports from non-mandatory organized team activates I have been slightly annoyed by how in the dark we’ve been kept. I understand the situation maybe sensitive, fine but I do not think announcing some level of a timeline of a recovery/return to football would be too revealing of his medical condition itself. I understand that the NFL has injuries, but when a fan becomes excited about a player, buys a ticket to see him play live, or buys a jersey for him, when that player goes down for any reason it would be nice to know when or if that player is ever going to take the football field.

I know the Patriots don’t owe us this or anything for that matter, they put a winning team on the field year in and year out and we’re very fortunate to be fans of such a great organization, but I am admittedly a bit irked by their lack of information in this situation, and even Ebner, Dowling, and Dennard situations to a degree.

Do you feel I am overacting or do you share a similar opinion?

 

[moosekill]

I was curious to hear what others thought of how the Patriots have handled Armstead’s current absence for what is reported to be an infection?

As someone who was very excited about the signing when it occurred and even more so after all of the positive reports from non-mandatory organized team activates I have been slightly annoyed by how in the dark we’ve been kept. I understand the situation maybe sensitive, fine but I do not think announcing some level of a timeline of a recovery/return to football would be too revealing of his medical condition itself. I understand that the NFL has injuries, but when a fan becomes excited about a player, buys a ticket to see him play live, or buys a jersey for him, when that player goes down for any reason it would be nice to know when or if that player is ever going to take the football field.

I know the Patriots don’t owe us this or anything for that matter, they put a winning team on the field year in and year out and we’re very fortunate to be fans of such a great organization, but I am admittedly a bit irked by their lack of information in this situation, and even Ebner, Dowling, and Dennard situations to a degree.

Do you feel I am overacting or do you share a similar opinion?

Have you followed the Patriots before this year? Oh, looking at your join date, no you haven't.

 

[Big-T]

We know he had an infection, the team obviously feel he can't go until at least week 6 of the season, that's all you need to know really.

 

[JackBauer]

I wonder if it was a staph infection...?

 

[AzPatsFan]

I wonder if it was a staph infection...?

More likely the Black Death...

 

[Brady6]

Have you followed the Patriots before this year? Oh, looking at your join date, no you haven't.

I grew up in Massachusetts and have followed the Patriots since 1986, I actually signed up the last week of April but my account was in the MOD queue until June but I have always read the threads and posts in here, and I am not someone who signed up just because of Tebow which I know my 6/2013 join date may imply, I actually am not a Tebow follower at all for that matter. So to answer your question I have followed the team and I know they do not generally disclose much but they do at least provide a vague timeline in most cases, or what the injury/illness itself is so that media doctors can configure a timeline.

Needless to say my question was not actually “Do I sound like somebody who just started following the Patriots?” so….

 

[BTTA]

I know the Patriots don’t owe us this or anything for that matter, they put a winning team on the field year in and year out and we’re very fortunate to be fans of such a great organization, but I am admittedly a bit irked by their lack of information in this situation, and even Ebner, Dowling, and Dennard situations to a degree.

Do you feel I am overacting or do you share a similar opinion?

Totally normal to be irked (great word) and also a useless waste of energy and focus. Plus, there's the chance that the player or the regs are discouraging the release of what kind of infection it is.

 

[fnordcircle]

Have you followed the Patriots before this year? Oh, looking at your join date, no you haven't.

So no patriots fans existed before this site was made, got it. Sound logic, internet poster moosekill.

 

[Dingleberry]

....I have been slightly annoyed by how in the dark we’ve been kept....
but I am admittedly a bit irked by their lack of information.....

Do you feel I am overacting or do you share a similar opinion?

No, you are not alone. We all get impatient, irked, annoyed, etc. But, it is what it is, isn't it? It's the part of the price of being a fan of this team--and a price that is worth paying.

Do what I do. Anytime I start b1tching about the lack of info, I look at the free-speaking big top circus that is the Jets.....and I am over it.

 

[Ozymandias]

I'm only disappointed in not knowing what the exact infection is. Now that we know he's out for the first six weeks it is a lot more comforting than having him placed on IR, which just two days ago seemed like an just as much of a possibility as the NFI list with the Patriots' unpredictable ways.

 

[Kontradiction]

The Patriots don't talk about injuries outside of the player's status for Sundays. You'll forgive Belichick if he doesn't care about keeping you in the dark regarding Armstead's health.

 

[Brady6]

The Patriots don't talk about injuries outside of the player's status for Sundays. You'll forgive Belichick if he doesn't care about keeping you in the dark regarding Armstead's health.

Thank you for taking the time to provide a smug response to a sincere question. In response to you, Bill Belichick has nothing to be forgiven for, he is an amazing coach, and this franchise is the flagship franchise of the NFL. I am very proud to be a fan of it, however just as I become upset with my wife whom I love from time to time I occasionally am bothered by behaviors of this franchise.

Your point about the Patriots not providing status updates beyond who will or will not play on Sunday is inaccurate; they generally provide some type of timeline on a return date, or provide enough details about the injury for doctors who work for media outlets can speculate on some level to a return date.

 

[patsfan13]

The bottom line is that the org is closely monitoring his health and he isn't ready for football activities at this time.

I hope he becomes healthy/strong enough to play this year and will wait to see what happens.


I never worry about those things we have no control over.

I hope the kid gets better ASAP for his own good ultimatly that is more important than football.

 

[nabwong]

Bottom line is this.

1) If someone asks about an injured player, BB will say he's not a doctor and then the doctor goes into witness protection

2) If no one asks about an injured player, the doctor stays in witness protection.

There is no strategical advantage to bringing up injury news. The opponent will use that against him on and off the field. He will attack the injured areas and the coach will be able to gameplan depending on availability. The less we know, the better.

 

[Brady6]

The bottom line is that the org is closely monitoring his health and he isn't ready for football activities at this time.

I hope he becomes healthy/strong enough to play this year and will wait to see what happens.


I never worry about those things we have no control over.

I hope the kid gets better ASAP for his own good ultimatly that is more important than football.

Well-said and fair points made. I am disappointed because he was the player I was most excited to see play this year so I just hope he can be back on the field after week 6 or 7.

 

[Kontradiction]

Thank you for taking the time to provide a smug response to a sincere question. In response to you, Bill Belichick has nothing to be forgiven for, he is an amazing coach, and this franchise is the flagship franchise of the NFL. I am very proud to be a fan of it, however just as I become upset with my wife whom I love from time to time I occasionally am bothered by behaviors of this franchise.

Your point about the Patriots not providing status updates beyond who will or will not play on Sunday is inaccurate; they generally provide some type of timeline on a return date, or provide enough details about the injury for doctors who work for media outlets can speculate on some level to a return date.

A timeline on a return date? Can you elaborate with a specific player or example?

EDIT: And sorry for sounding smug. I'm in a foul mood today.

 

[Brady6]

A timeline on a return date? Can you elaborate with a specific player or example?

You are joking right.

A timeline as in Rob Gronkowski broke his arm in the Colts game and the timetable for his return was 6-8 weeks.

Come on man, you know I am not about the arguing about nothing just because I enjoy confrontation crap. If you want to have a normal football discussion, I am completely interested, but this nonsense is for the birds. I asked a pretty cut and dry question, what is your opinion on the Armstead situation, it clearly doesn’t bother you, so why not just respond with just that, why do you insist on making a smug comment like please forgive Belichick as if I implied he was a bad person or did this heinous act. Alternatively, you could of t said nothing at all, name one time that I have ever done anything to despair you or even imply negatively toward you.

 

[Brady6]

A timeline on a return date? Can you elaborate with a specific player or example?

EDIT: And sorry for sounding smug. I'm in a foul mood today.

I saw the edit after my last post, but no problem, I genuinely appreciate the apology and I understand we all have bad days.

 

[RayClay]

Day to day, torso.

 

[patchick]

It seems that whichever side folks are on in this thread, most of us are assuming that Belichick COULD HAVE told us lots of definite details but refused because silence is his way. I think that's a mighty big assumption.

First off, teams may not reveal details of a player's illness. Injury reporting is only a tightly limited exemption to federal medical privacy laws. (I think you'll find that most of the details you think you know about other players' injuries and illnesses were not revealed by their teams.)

As for time frame, infections can be devilishly unpredictable and Armstead kept appearing and disappearing from the sidelines of practice -- a sign of alternating optimism and setbacks. It's perfectly possible that the decision to place him on in-season NFI was down to the wire, or unexpected.