Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker could miss multiple games after his second shoulder dislocation of the season. The medical staff had to pop the shoulder back into place Sunday against the Houston Texans. Again.
Dr. Mike Pagnani, director of Nashville Knee and Shoulder Center, told The Tennessean once a player has that injury, it will continue to happen. Pagnani has been the team physician for the New York Giants and the NHL's Nashville Predators, as well as a consultant for the Miami Dolphins.
"Eventually, the pain will go away," Pagnani said. "The risk is, it's going to happen again and it's probably just a matter of time before it does. He is going to go out there and he is going to get hit wrong and it's going to pop out again. And he'll go through the same scenario where they pop it back in, and he's going to be real sore for a week or two until he ultimately gets it fixed."
Pagnani thinks surgery is inevitable. In that scenario, Locker would be done for the season with a four to six month recovery time.
"He's already had one trial of non-operative treatment, and maybe I would give him one more shot at this," Pagnani said. "But if it popped out again, that would probably be it. I would probably jut fix it, and that would be the end of the season for him.
"It just depends on the discretion of the player, and the doctor to a degree, as to how many episodes you are willing to put up with."
Locker won't play this week against the Minnesota Vikings, but the team has not decided to go the surgery route. An MRI showed no structural damage. This returns Matt Hasselback to the starting lineup -- which is not a bad option. The question is: How long will he be there?
Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.
