NFL roundup: Zach Orr possibly ending his retirement
By Brad Weiss
Zach Orr retired after the 2016 NFL season, but it looks like the star linebacker may be coming back after getting a clean bill of health.
After the 2016 NFL season, Baltimore Ravens star linebacker Zach Orr retired for some seriously scary health issues. Doctors told Orr he had a congenital spinal condition, meaning he could be paralyzed or killed if he continued to play. Recently, doctors told him that he is healthy enough to play, and on Thursday, he will meet with the Detroit Lions about the possibility of rejoining the NFL.
Carson Palmer does not know if he is going to play after the 2017 NFL season, and he will not make a decision until after the season. A year after leading his Arizona Cardinals to the NFC Championship Game, Palmer and company failed to make the playoffs last season, as they were doomed by inconsistent play. With a loaded roster for 2017, the Cardinals could be in contention to get to the Super Bowl and have to be happy Palmer decided to come back for another year.
One NFC player who will miss the first four games of the season is David Irving, who emerged as the best pass rusher on the Dallas Cowboys last season. Irving was suspended on Wednesday for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy, and will now have to sit out four games. Irving said the supplement came from a company he has a marketing deal with, and while the team will miss him, rookie Taco Charlton should get lots of playing time now.
Andrew Luck is getting better, and that has to make Indianapolis Colts fans feel good. Luck finally had surgery after spending two seasons with a hurt shoulder, and there is still no word as to whether or not he will be ready by Week 1. The organization seems to think so, and they better hope so, because this team is only going to go as far as their star quarterback is going to take them.
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Finally, it looks like LeGarrette Blount is going to get some extra money if he can stay in shape as well. Like Eddie Lacy of the Seattle Seahawks, Blount will get a $50,000 weight incentive, provided he can stay between 240-250 pounds this season. The former Oregon Duck led the NFL with 18 touchdowns last season, and this offseason he signed a one-year deal to be the featured back with the Philadelphia Eagles.