It's no secret that the health of running back Steven Jackson will go a long way toward determining the final outcome of the St. Louis Rams 2010 season. Besides being the only established playmaker on the Rams' offense, Sam Bradford's health is partially riding on Jackson's legs, and his healing back, to help keep defenses from sending all available pass rushers at the rookie QB.
Jackson's health is of particular concern because he's dealt with injuries the last few seasons, nothing career threatening thankfully, but it's enough to make fans nervous, especially after he underwent surgery on his back for a bulging disc. And how likely is it for Jackson to hurt his back again?
Fortunately, he's more likely to get hurt on a trip to the Azores than on the football field, according to ESPN injury consultant Stephania Bell. From Sando:
Jackson would be more apt to aggravate the disk injury through non-football activities such as traveling or heavy squat lifting than through getting tackled during games or practices, she thought. Bell pointed to Matt Hasselbeck's 2008 disk problem as one example. Hasselbeck's back flared up during a plane flight, not while playing. For Jackson, twisting as he fights for extra yardage could be more problematic than even taking a helmet hit to the back.
Steven Jackson, stay away from airplanes.