Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rumors: Carl Nicks unsure if he’ll be able to resume his career
Tampa Bay Buccaneers guard Carl Nicks (77) on the line of scrimmage during the fourth quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium. The Cowboys beat the Buccaneers 16-10. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Carl Nicks to a five-year, $47.5 million contract in the 2012 season, they thought they were going to get arguably the game’s best guard and a massive upgrade on the offensive line. Unfortunately, Nicks hasn’t been able to show off his All-Pro talent in Tampa due to nerve damage that caused him to play in just seven games in his first season with the team.
FOX Sports’s Mike Garafolo reports that Nicks has received “mixed messages” on whether or not he’ll be able to continue playing, because his foot injury is that serious. Nicks’s nerve damage in his foot has caused him to have difficulty feeling in his foot, and it’s also affected his foot’s strength. Garafolo reports that it’s “unclear” as to whether or not the MRSA infection has exacerbated those issues, but Nicks’s foot problems are most directly related to the injury he suffered in 2012, as opposed to the more recent MRSA infection.
Nicks is reportedly set to visit a specialist in order to learn more about his ailment, and he specifically wants to know whether or not he’ll be able to play football again. And, if he can continue playing, how effective he will be, since he is still one of the most respective guards in the NFL. We can only hope that Nicks will able to keep on playing, because you never want to hear this sort of story happen to anyone, but you especially don’t want to see a great player robbed of his career due to a nasty nerve issue.
Per Nicks, the injury is so bad that he believes he will have to “deal with it” for the rest of his life, and he also stated that it changes how he positions himself when he walks and even when he stands. Again, all we can do is hope that the future will hold better things for Carl Nicks and that he can continue playing football.