San Fransisco 49ers’ Justin Smith Ready To Go
By Daniel Nicks
In early February, San Fransisco 49ers’ Justin Smith underwent surgery to repair a 50 percent tear of his triceps. And at 33-years-old there were plenty of questions surrounding the timetable for his recovery after he battled through the injury to play the entirety of the postseason wearing the brace seen above.
But fortunately it turns out Smith is well on his way to a full recovery in mid-June.
"“I’d be good to go,” San Francisco’s second-team All-Pro defensive tackle said when asked if he could line up for a game in mid-June.… “You’re trying to get back to where you were at your peak,” Smith told reporters on Wednesday. “(I’m) Real close, feel good about it. Still have six more weeks so I should be right on schedule.”… “You could either let that tear you down mentally as a team or build you up,” Smith said. “I think we’re taking the build-you-up approach.”"
We can’t really be sure how Smith will rebound mentally until he’s actually on the field. As Smith had gone without significant injury for the first 12 years of his career.
It also doesn’t help the Smith dealt with a steep decline in production throughout 2012, posting the second lowest sack total of his career with 3.0 total compared to 7.5 in 2011. But make no mistake, his veteran leadership is a vital piece in the league’s premiere pass rush.