Santonio Holmes Cleared But Isn't Suiting Up

Brian Costello has a story today noting that Santonio Holmes has been cleared by doctors but still is not suiting up at full speed. This has apparently led to some questioning of Holmes among members of the organization.

Santonio Holmes says he is not any closer to playing, and patience is wearing thin around the Jets.

An organizational source said many people around the team believe the mercurial wide receiver is just trying to avoid training camp and he is healthier than he is letting on. In fact, a source said Dr. Robert Anderson, the foot specialist in North Carolina who operated on Holmes, has cleared Holmes to begin football activities, but Holmes has resisted.

For those who follow the NBA, this situation resembles that of Chicago Bulls superstar Derrick Rose, who was recovering from a torn ACL last year. Doctors cleared him to play, but he did not suit up at all last season.

Like Holmes, Rose drew questioning from many. If you are among the people questioning Holmes, I would advise you to stop. You and I have no idea what he is feeling in his body. There is a big difference between being medically cleared to play and feeling all right. Holmes is coming off a very serious injury. If he doesn't feel comfortable out there, he is putting himself and the team in danger. He is likely to alter his physical motion, which leaves him vulnerable to other injuries and will hamper his productivity. Just because somebody saw him jog somewhere does not mean he is ready to play.

I get that people don't like Holmes for various reasons, but it's important that he gets on the field only when he feels comfortable. It is a really dangerous game when we start questioning whether a player is milking an injury only based on conjecture.