Chmura: Finley said he’s having neck surgery on Thursday
Posted by Mike Florio on November 12, 2013, 7:23 AM EST
AP
After Packers tight end Jermichael Finley suffered a neck injury last month, speculation emerged that the defect that caused him to suffer a spinal cord contusion could require surgery. Since then, little had been said about the possibility of surgery.
On Monday, former Packers tight end Mark Chmura said plenty.
Appearing on 540 ESPN Milwaukee on Monday, Chmura said Finley has acknowledged surgery will happen this week.
“I will give you a little snibbet,” Chmura said (without identifying the dictionary in which he found the word “snibbet”). “I got a chance to talk to Jermichael Finley before the game, and I would bet my bottom dollar his career’s over. Over. He needs surgery, and it’s herniated in [the C3 and C4 vertebrae]. . . . I think it’s gonna be a Nick Collins deal. He’s definitely not gonna play in Green Bay, I’d put my house on that.”
Nick Collins played safety for the Packers, suffered a herniated disc in his neck early in the 2011 season, and never played again,
Chmura added that Finley said surgery is happening soon: “I believe he’s undergoing surgery on Thursday. . . . He literally could not move his neck.”
Finley has not specifically addressed whether surgery will happen, and agent Blake Baratz has not responded to a text message seeking comment on whether surgery is planned.
On Monday night, Finley posted on Twitter, “If anyone is made for all this it’s me,” with the hashtag “Road2Recovery.”
Finley - Surgery, probably not coming back - Says Chmura
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Finley - Surgery, probably not coming back - Says Chmura
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Finley - Surgery, probably not coming back - Says Chmura
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Re: Finley - Surgery, probably not coming back
I feel bad for the guy. At least he was smart and has a $10 million policy should he never play again. I don't think we would have re-signed him anyway but it's horrible his career is likely over.
I'm against picketing but I don't know how to show it.
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Re: Finley - Surgery, probably not coming back
Hope he's been smart with his money and is smart with the $10 million in insurance money. He never really got his big contract.
BucksRuleAll22 wrote:Calvin Johnson is horrible and not a top WR.
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Re: Finley - Surgery, probably not coming back
If I was a football player and I got drafted by the Packers, I would be terrified. The odds of something terrible happening to you seem significantly higher than if you get drafted to just about any other team in professional sports.
Re: Finley - Surgery, probably not coming back
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Re: Finley - Surgery, probably not coming back
Just awful. First Nick Collins, now Finley? You gotta wonder when we will finally catch a break injury-wise. Finley was on pace for a pro bowl season as well....ugh
I guess if there was a silver lining, TT now doesn't have nearly the dilemma between our pending FA's. Sucks though, I saw the piece the local ABC station did on Nick Collins and he looks to be in good health, hopefully Jermichael has similar luck...

I guess if there was a silver lining, TT now doesn't have nearly the dilemma between our pending FA's. Sucks though, I saw the piece the local ABC station did on Nick Collins and he looks to be in good health, hopefully Jermichael has similar luck...
Re: Finley - Surgery, probably not coming back
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Re: Finley - Surgery, probably not coming back
That's awful. When he signed that two year deal, he was betting on getting that big contract afterwards. I guess that's the risk you take, but I feel for him.
I do seem to remember reading that his injury wasn't as career/life-threatening as Nick's because the injured discs were lower in the body and, thus, less subject to catastrophic consequence if he gets hit the wrong way. I was hoping he'd still have a chance to play in the future - if not this season, next season.
But, ultimately, you have to take care of your own well-being. I hope he ends up having a fulfilling life. He got a lot of flak around here over the years, but you could tell that he always loved to play and worked his ass off to become, in my view, one of the the most dominant tight ends in the league when his hands were cooperating with him.
I do seem to remember reading that his injury wasn't as career/life-threatening as Nick's because the injured discs were lower in the body and, thus, less subject to catastrophic consequence if he gets hit the wrong way. I was hoping he'd still have a chance to play in the future - if not this season, next season.
But, ultimately, you have to take care of your own well-being. I hope he ends up having a fulfilling life. He got a lot of flak around here over the years, but you could tell that he always loved to play and worked his ass off to become, in my view, one of the the most dominant tight ends in the league when his hands were cooperating with him.
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Re: Finley - Surgery, probably not coming back
Terrible but thankfully he has that insurance policy and will be set for the rest of his life and for his family too.
Finley seems like a talented dude and will probably find a niche somewhere else. Just unfortunate that he can't do what loves anymore.
Tight End is definitely going to be a need area in the draft.
Finley seems like a talented dude and will probably find a niche somewhere else. Just unfortunate that he can't do what loves anymore.
Tight End is definitely going to be a need area in the draft.

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Re: Finley - Surgery, probably not coming back
Last time I checked Mark Chmura wasn't a doctor so you'll have to excuse me for not taking his word as gospel. Obviously it's not looking good but I'm not going to write Finley off quite yet.
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Re: Finley - Surgery, probably not coming back
Turk Nowitzki wrote:Last time I checked Mark Chmura wasn't a doctor so you'll have to excuse me for not taking his word as gospel. Obviously it's not looking good but I'm not going to write Finley off quite yet.
Yeah, apparently Finley (or his reps) aren't saying these reports are accurate. Don't quote me on it as I don't have a source, but I just think we are all bracing for the worst possibility after seeing the Nick Collins situation. As I recall, he didn't outright state his career was likely over until well into the offseason. I have some optimism, but even if he eventually gets healthy enough to play (whenever that is), what are the odds that TT even re-signs him?
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Re: Finley - Surgery, probably not coming back
I've taken dumps that have more integrity than Mark Chmura.
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Re: Finley - Surgery, probably not coming back
Mark Chmura's concussions have concussions.
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Doesn't Chmura also publicly dislike Finley? Why would they have talked?
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Re: Finley - Surgery, probably not coming back
Newz wrote:If I was a football player and I got drafted by the Packers, I would be terrified. The odds of something terrible happening to you seem significantly higher than if you get drafted to just about any other team in professional sports.
I'd like to see a list of the significant injuries that have befallen Packer players over the last 6-7 years. It's got to be ridiculous. I suspect we're looking at a combination of unfortunate coincidences, injury prone guys, and a systemic failure within the organization to properly take care of these guys.
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Re: Finley - Surgery, probably not coming back
th87 wrote:Doesn't Chmura also publicly dislike Finley? Why would they have talked?
They both have a thing for teenage girls, so I would have thought they'd hit it off.

BucksRuleAll22 wrote:Calvin Johnson is horrible and not a top WR.
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Re: Finley - Surgery, probably not coming back
Never want to see anyones career end like this, but lets not go ape **** here....
He's no Nick Collins (borderline HOF if his career continued IMO), and he's also a scum bag to boot. He wasn't going to get resigned by the Packers anyway.
I'm glad he has that policy so he can pay child support for his multiple kids out of wedlock.
He's no Nick Collins (borderline HOF if his career continued IMO), and he's also a scum bag to boot. He wasn't going to get resigned by the Packers anyway.
I'm glad he has that policy so he can pay child support for his multiple kids out of wedlock.
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Re: Finley - Surgery, probably not coming back
RedDeath wrote:Never want to see anyones career end like this, but lets not go ape **** here....
He's no Nick Collins (borderline HOF if his career continued IMO), and he's also a scum bag to boot. He wasn't going to get resigned by the Packers anyway.
I'm glad he has that policy so he can pay child support for his multiple kids out of wedlock.
Not saying I would be surprised in the least, but do u know Finley has a bunch kids outside of his marriage or are u assuming that because of his rep for being a philanderer... Just curious
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Re: Finley - Surgery, probably not coming back
humanrefutation wrote:That's awful. When he signed that two year deal, he was betting on getting that big contract afterwards. I guess that's the risk you take, but I feel for him.
Sure i have some degree of sympathy for Finley looking like he could have his love of football taken from him early in his career, but i do have a hard time feeling bad for him at all from a financial perspective. The guy has already made somewhere in the 20 million dollars range which is way more money than most people will ever come close to making over the whole course of their lives. On top of that he had an insurance policy for a career ending injury.
With that huge amount of money he'll have pocketed already, the only way that Finley and his family won't be able to live a life of luxury is if they are completely stupid with all of that cash.
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whatthe_buck!? wrote:RedDeath wrote:Never want to see anyones career end like this, but lets not go ape **** here....
He's no Nick Collins (borderline HOF if his career continued IMO), and he's also a scum bag to boot. He wasn't going to get resigned by the Packers anyway.
I'm glad he has that policy so he can pay child support for his multiple kids out of wedlock.
Not saying I would be surprised in the least, but do u know Finley has a bunch kids outside of his marriage or are u assuming that because of his rep for being a philanderer... Just curious
Based on the fact that he called Finley a "scum bag", and the overall amount of vitriol and hatred he seems to have for the man, I think he's just throwing around baseless accusations. Ignore...
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Re: Finley - Surgery, probably not coming back
Ron Swanson wrote:whatthe_buck!? wrote:RedDeath wrote:Never want to see anyones career end like this, but lets not go ape **** here....
He's no Nick Collins (borderline HOF if his career continued IMO), and he's also a scum bag to boot. He wasn't going to get resigned by the Packers anyway.
I'm glad he has that policy so he can pay child support for his multiple kids out of wedlock.
Not saying I would be surprised in the least, but do u know Finley has a bunch kids outside of his marriage or are u assuming that because of his rep for being a philanderer... Just curious
Based on the fact that he called Finley a "scum bag", and the overall amount of vitriol and hatred he seems to have for the man, I think he's just throwing around baseless accusations. Ignore...
Maybe Finley is his daddy..... who knows.