re: Is Jarius Byrd medically cleared but refusing to play??

I think it's realistic to assume he's at least going on the PUP list. As others have pointed out, him not being around is not a good sign. It doesn't necessarily mean their is a rift in the organization when it comes to him but it could also mean he needs more rehabilitation. Either way, it's not a positive sign regardless how you see it. He could be getting second opinions because he doesn't feel confident or w/e.

In any case, I've never heard of a meniscus injury lingering around almost a year later. I'm not a doctor so I don't know but that's strange there...which leads me to believe he has another injury the Saints have not told about.

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Man, we're real quick to tell others what to do with their bodies with no hesitation whatsoever.

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He's paid to play. When he's injured, he has a responsibility to rehab and get back on the field as soon as possible. He doesn't get to make a unilateral decision against the doctors. If he's medically cleared he has a contractual obligation to play.

I have absolutely no sympathy for a guy who decides he doesn't want to play if there are no medical issues involved.

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I hate to come off as I'm defending Byrd, I really do, but you can only rely on the doctors so much. At the end of the day, you have to listen to yourself/your body.

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No. He's under contract. If the knee is healed, and the leg has been rehabbed and strong, he has the responsibility to practice and play. He doesn't get to unilaterally decide he's not ready while he "listens to his body". That's a ridiculous notion. Often pain is based on scar tissue and you have to work through it. You can't just say, "I'm feeling discomfort...I'm not ready."

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None of us have ANY idea what's going on with him, so we will all just have to wait to see what happens from here. You're implying that he hasn't been doing these things, which you have no information to go off of. The mental aspect isn't "being able to handle it", it's having the confidence in your knee to make the cuts at full speed, make a full, extended jump on the dime, the ability to take on contact, etc. The hardest part about doing these things is being able to do them without thinking about every movement as it's happening, and just being able to play freely. Playing scared/hesitant is an easy way to re-injure yourself (and to play like shite).

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It's his fricking job. You only gain confidence by testing the knee out and being active. And, again, this was something that should have happened months ago.

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think it's realistic to assume he's at least going on the PUP list. As others have pointed out, him not being around is not a good sign. It doesn't necessarily mean their is a rift in the organization when it comes to him but it could also mean he needs more rehabilitation.

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The same report that said he would be back before the preseason also said that he'd be finishing up his rehab away from the team. That was on August 6th I believe.

So at this point, he hasn't missed the target and is doing what was reported.

If he isn't taken off next week, then we should be questioning it.

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Dude. AGAIN, we do not know ANYTHING about his current situation. He could very well had a set back, maybe a new injury, or he is just being a bitch. Why is that so hard to understand?

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I understand it very well. It's not a confirmed situation and my comments started with "If". If the doctors haven't cleared him, obviously all of this discussion is moot.

But, you've been in here accepting the hypothetical and saying things like, "well, maybe he has a mental block" or "no, he really needs to listen to his body...not the doctors".

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You are making all kinds of assumptions

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No I haven't. I'm working off the hypothetical thrown out in the OP...that he's medically cleared to play. You seem to be struggling with that.

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Again, how do you know what he has and has not been doing these last few months? The fact is, you don't know.Do you honestly think the team would allow him to NOT go to PT, see doctors, test out the knee, etc. over the last few months if it was an issue? You've been implying throughout this whole thread that he has been idle over the summer, and is just now getting treatment for his knee, which I guarantee is false. I'm done with the conversation, feel free to have the last word. You are obviously clueless.

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I absolutely never said he was idle. You invented that in your own head. My comments were in response to your ridiculous assertion that he "listen to his own body" rather than the doctors and that the mental aspect is legitimate reason not to be playing. It's absurd.

As for how a team would react to the hypothetical situation stated in the OP, I would think the team would be patient at first, aggravated but keep it in house next and finally things would start to leak out once they reached the limit.

The Saints won't address the issue directly right now. So, it's all speculation. My guess is that when they do address it, it's going to be a negative situation (further injury, malcontent, etc.)

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A team can also recover a portion of a player's signing bonus. Fifteen percent of the prorated amount of signing bonus can be recouped on the sixth day of a training camp holdout. It's one percent for each additional missed day with a maximum of 25 percent of the prorated amount during training camp. An additional 25 percent can be recovered with the first missed regular season game. After four missed weeks, a team can recover 1/17 of the prorated amount for each additional week of the player's absence. The maximum a team can recover in a season is the entire prorated amount of the player's signing bonus in that contract year.

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We'd be fining him

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The Saints won't address the issue directly right now. So, it's all speculation.

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It was addressed August 6th. Now we wait. Edit: it was addressed 8/19

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The Saints expect FS Jairus Byrd (knee) to return before the end of preseason.

Byrd hasn’t been seen at training camp for over a week, but is making progress away from the team. He has an outside chance to see preseason action. Byrd is on track to be ready for Week 1. Aug 19 - 6:20 PM

Source: New Orleans Times-Picayune

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'm arguing with guys who accept the hypothetical, and still think it's ok for Byrd to "listen to his body" even when he's medically cleared.

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That's fair

Forgive me if this was mentioned before in this thread, but I just "heard" something from "them" that Byrd is mulling retirement and that he and the Saints are discussing a settlement. Anyone in the know hear anything like this?

This is beyond ridiculous. With all the injuries and mysteries going on of training camp if we field a secondary of Browner, Vaccaro, Bush, Breaux and get one sack in week 1.....that's cause for celebration.