Green Bay Packers safety Sean Richardson has suffered a neck injury, that could end his career according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The injury could spell the end of Richardson’s career because it is a similar injury to the one he suffered in 2012 and required fusion surgery of the C-5 and C-6 vertebrae.
According to neurosurgeons who have performed fusion surgery, a second herniation typically occurs directly below or above where the fusion took place. Richardson’s latest herniation took place below the fusion, the source said.
Richardson was added to the injury report Thursday with a neck injury and was listed as a limited participant. He practiced in full on Wednesday, but was experiencing neck pain the following day and an MRI was ordered.
Coach Mike McCarthy was not asked about Richardson in his Friday morning press conference and the Packers weren’t due to release their injury report until later in the afternoon. Since the Packers don’t practice on Friday, the report is an estimation of a player’s status and is sometimes changed on Saturday after the Packers conduct their final workout.
The Packers are reportedly still mulling over second opinions and whether to place Richardson on IR. The 6-2, 216-pound Richardson had played in three games this season and has two tackles and a pass breakup. He sat out the Kansas City game with an ankle injury.