Here's what I don't get - if the dispute basically boils down to, Marty doesn't want to put off surgery on a team going nowhere this year (a totally reasonable position, imo), what do the Packers gain by forcing him to play? They have him on a three year deal, why wouldn't they want him to get healthy so he can come back and help Rodgers in 2018? Is it a precedent issue - can't have the perception of guys mailing it in even when the season is going badly? Is it the team MD trying to cover his own ass (which Marty seems to imply)?
I basically assume that any guy who is 10 years into an NFL career has nagging injuries all over the place and that, frequently, the decision between "gut it out" and "surgery" has everything to do with his individual tolerance, his leverage with the team and the degree of financial security he's already achieved.
My old man got notice that he was being laid off in 90 days from a huge company that he worked at for 30 years in good standing. He was maybe a year out from retirement. He had put off two knee replacements and a back procedure for years, figuring he'd do it after he retired. A week after they gave him notice, he was on short term disability doing the knee replacement. Stopped his layoff clock. Came back for a couple months, did the other one. Back on disability. Fuck 'em. You don't owe your employer shit that isn't in the contract, and never forget it, because they damn sure won't hesitate to cut you loose if it suits them.
I basically assume that any guy who is 10 years into an NFL career has nagging injuries all over the place and that, frequently, the decision between "gut it out" and "surgery" has everything to do with his individual tolerance, his leverage with the team and the degree of financial security he's already achieved.
My old man got notice that he was being laid off in 90 days from a huge company that he worked at for 30 years in good standing. He was maybe a year out from retirement. He had put off two knee replacements and a back procedure for years, figuring he'd do it after he retired. A week after they gave him notice, he was on short term disability doing the knee replacement. Stopped his layoff clock. Came back for a couple months, did the other one. Back on disability. Fuck 'em. You don't owe your employer shit that isn't in the contract, and never forget it, because they damn sure won't hesitate to cut you loose if it suits them.