At least for 2-3 months. It was such an injury ridden season last year, wonder how this one is going to go... The ever-changing story of Peyton Manning's(notes) future in the NFL just took a very bad turn. According to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, Manning underwent cervical fusion surgery on Thursday morning, a procedure that will put him out of the game for at least 2-3 months. This follows a May 23 surgery to repair a bulging disc in his neck.
The report has been confirmed by the Associated Press.
The healing process from that surgery proved to be frustratingly slow, and after consulting with half a dozen neurosurgeons, it was decided that the best course of action for Manning was to have a one-level cervical fusion in his neck. In short, cervical fusion is when surgeons remove a herniated disc and put a bone graft in its place.
Manning had been hoping to avoid the procedure that put him out for that long, but eventually, it proved inevitable. "I think he's OK, probably because there's a little finality to this deal in terms of playing," Manning's father Archie told Mortensen. "He's been on the clock since May. He didn't make it. Obviously, it's a big letdown, but he can relax a little bit compared to the intensity of everything he has done trying to rehab."
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdo ... nfl-wp6714
