Dr. Mark E. Pruzansky
Dr. Jason S. Pruzansky
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Julius Thomas Opts for Surgery- Hopes for Week 4 Return

Dr Pruzansky | September 6, 2015

Tight end Julius Thomas of the Jacksonville Jaguars opts for surgery after receiving a second opinion on his football hand injury. The procedure will keep him out of play for a week longer than if he had opted against surgery.  

Dave Caldwell (general manager) said that it was likely Thomas wouldn’t recover enough to play in the first three regular-season games anyway.

“We thought that it’d be touch-and-go for the opener, hopeful that he’d be ready, but if not it would be a worst-case scenario around Week 3,” Caldwell said. He further indicated a “worst-case scenario” could be Week 4, as the surgery would require traveling to Indianapolis to be done.

As for what the surgery entails, according to a league source close to Thomas’ situation: Thomas suffered a fractured bone just behind the base of his finger. He also stretched ligaments that help keep his finger seated in the joint. The ligaments will naturally tighten over time, but the most recent examination showed that Thomas’ ligaments hadn’t tightened as much as hoped to this point.

Most people would be able to go about their jobs with ligaments that aren’t totally healed, but in Thomas’ case, it would put him at risk for further injury if he played while his finger joint isn’t completely stable.