jammerhawk":3o7y0b9a said:
I guess all the specualtion that his career is over is unfounded?
If it is indeed over, being on NFI now doesn't preclude him from being in the building. Nor does him being here indicate anything about the long term effects of the crash.
At this point, it's just a random piece of information. Doesn't imply anything either way regarding his likelihood of playing (this year or ever).
My guess is, the speculation will continue until he's active on game day. Merely making the 53 won't do it. As an example, I'd invite anyone to google the saga of Sharrif Floyd (DT Minn). Not the same kind of injury -- but the same scenario where a potential long term injury just seemingly never gets better and never allows him to play.
At this point, all we can do is speculate. And that's largely based on comparing how the team communicates his injury relative to all of the other injuries they report on. It's undeniable that the team is cagey in a way unlike any other injury for any other player. The questions and speculation are warranted based on that alone. The HIPAA guidelines could explain that. But it could just as easily be a means to let the reality unfold.
There's nothing wrong with speculation at this stage. It's a fan forums' currency. But we all need to be wary when our speculation is worded as certainty. Everyone here makes wording mistakes. It's not like we have copy editors making sure our posts reflect that.
In my opinion, the speculation about whether McDowell ever plays will always be founded until the day he gets on the field. The body of evidence with respect to how this injury has played out directs us to no other reasonable conclusion. Irregardless of whether there may be a legitimate reason why the team has behaved differently in this case than every other injury ever -- that reason doesn't dismiss the fact that the secrecy of this injury is unlike any this FO has communicated with the public.