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According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Vikings running back Michael Bennett has elected to undergo a procedure that, if successful, will allow him to return to the playing field for half of the 2003 season.
Per the Star-Trib, bone marrow will be removed from Bennett's hip, mixed with a protein that stimulates bone growth and injected into site of the Jones fracture in his left foot. His foot will be put in a cast, and electric stimulation will be applied to promote bone formation.
"If everything goes perfect, the soonest Michael will play is early to midseason," trainer Chuck Barta said. "We take the cast off after four weeks. But he'll have to rebuild muscle and get his range of motion back. He also could have to wear the cast longer."
The procedure is less invasive than surgery, which likely would knock Bennett out for the whole season.
The problem arose on Tuesday, when it was determined that a screw inserted into Bennett's foot in March had broken.
The Vikes say they don't play to sign another running back. Instead, the workload will fall to Doug Chapman, Moe Williams, and rookie Onterrio Smith. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that Chapman will be the starter.
Still, with the cap room that the Vikes have, we'd be giving Ricky Watters a call. Hell, we'd even pull Robert Smith's name out of the dust-covered Rolodex. Because without a proven receiver to take some of the attention away from Randy Moss, the absence of Bennett means that the Randy will get open only if he's knocking down D-backs with his Lexus.
Per the Star-Trib, bone marrow will be removed from Bennett's hip, mixed with a protein that stimulates bone growth and injected into site of the Jones fracture in his left foot. His foot will be put in a cast, and electric stimulation will be applied to promote bone formation.
"If everything goes perfect, the soonest Michael will play is early to midseason," trainer Chuck Barta said. "We take the cast off after four weeks. But he'll have to rebuild muscle and get his range of motion back. He also could have to wear the cast longer."
The procedure is less invasive than surgery, which likely would knock Bennett out for the whole season.
The problem arose on Tuesday, when it was determined that a screw inserted into Bennett's foot in March had broken.
The Vikes say they don't play to sign another running back. Instead, the workload will fall to Doug Chapman, Moe Williams, and rookie Onterrio Smith. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that Chapman will be the starter.
Still, with the cap room that the Vikes have, we'd be giving Ricky Watters a call. Hell, we'd even pull Robert Smith's name out of the dust-covered Rolodex. Because without a proven receiver to take some of the attention away from Randy Moss, the absence of Bennett means that the Randy will get open only if he's knocking down D-backs with his Lexus.
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