Richard Sherman may not require Tommy John surgery

Feb 1, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman (25) prays prior to facing the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman may not require surgery after all, per coach Pete Carroll.

The words Tommy John surgery are sure to cause an MLB pitcher or two to wince in fear and/or pain, but the term is hardly a blip in the NFL vernacular. It seems that this was a route for Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman after he tore several ligaments in his elbow. However, coach Pete Carroll has since backed off that prognosis and recently noted that Sherman may not require such an operation.

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“He’s not a pitcher, and he’s not a left-hander,” Carroll said per ESPN. “Sherm might not have to have that kind of surgery,” he said. “If he was a thrower he would.”

That leads us to believe that a little rest and rehab would do the trick for Sherman, who wouldn’t be applying the same type of daily stress to his elbow that would a pitcher in the major leagues or even a quarterback in the NFL. By that criteria, Sherman may avoid a surgery that normally rules out a pitcher for at least an entire calendar year.

Pete Carroll had previously noted that Sherman might require the surgery, but that it wouldn’t be as big of a deal as it is for those deemed ‘throwers’. So even if that prognosis does end up being wrong and Sherman does require surgery, it’s not the end of the world or at the very least the 2015 season for the All-Pro cornerback.

The Seahawks will want Sherman on the field right away next season, when they look to return to the Super Bowl once again and become the first team since the Buffalo Bills in the early 1990’s to make it to three straight championship games.

Sherman injured his elbow in Seattle’s NFC Championship Game victory over the Green Bay Packers, but quickly asserted then that he’d be in the lineup for the Super Bowl. True to his word, Sherman started without incident in the big game and seemed to play his usual role of shrinking the field for the opposition. New England Patriots QB Tom Brady seemed to content to avoid Sherman for most of the night.

Richard Sherman will have months to recover so if it’s a matter of rest and rehab, instead of surgery, you can expect to see him out on the field like normal when training camp opens for the defending NFC champions.

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