Typically, any NFL related news this time of year is of the negative nature and yesterday certainly didn’t disappoint.
Sadly, I woke to the news that former Vikings and Cardinals head coach Dennis Green passed away at the age of 67. Green may never be remembered as one of the more popular head coaches in the NFL, but he left a lasting impact on the National Football League and will be remembered by many that had the privilege of knowing him.
We also learned that Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell could possibly be suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season and would have to put his comeback from injury on hold for the first month of the season.
Bell’s possible suspension is tough news for the Steelers offense, especially knowing that they are already without Martavis Bryant because he was suspended for the first part of the season as well.
I was going to say that we, as fans of the Dallas Cowboys, could sympathize with the Steelers and their suspensions, but there’s probably not another team in the league that Cowboys fans despise more than Pittsburgh.
Of course, then there was a news that every Dallas Cowboys fan found disturbing when they heard that rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott had been accused of domestic violence by an ex-girlfriend. This is especially disturbing considering that the Cowboys are still dealing with the backlash from bringing in Greg Hardy last year.
There are conflicting reports regarding Elliott and his part in the domestic violence, so I will not only be following this situation closely, but I’ll wait to pass judgment until all of the evidence is collected.
To me, the news I found most shocking though was when I found out that the Houston Texans dominant defensive player JJ Watt had to have back surgery and could possibly miss extended time while he recovers.
#Texans DL JJ Watt’s surgery was for a herniated disc, source said. He had symptoms while working out on his own. 8 week return is best-case
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 22, 2016
If Ian Rapoport is correct and JJ Watt can recover in eight weeks, then he could possibly be ready to play when the season kicks off in Week 1.
That would be the best case scenario for Watt, but you have to remember that this is his back we’re talking about and that’s something that is doctors and the Houston Texas training staff will want to monitor closely to make sure there are no lingering effects.
Mark Garafolo, with the help from his sources, seems to think that JJ Watt is looking at a longer recovery time that could last into the 2016 season.
On JJ Watt, texted with a source informed of his prognosis who pumped the brakes on early optimism. Cautioned it could take up to 10 weeks.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 22, 2016
That would certainly be bad news for JJ Watt and the Houston Texans defense. A 10 week recovery time would mean that Watt could possibly make his debut by Week 4, but taking the cautious approach would probably be wise on the Texans part.
This injury also lessens Watt’s chances of winning MVP, which could help other candidates receive more votes that would have went his way.
Now, I’m never one that wants to see a player suffer an injury, especially someone of JJ Watt’s caliber and I’m personally wishing him a speedy recovery. But this possibly could be good news for Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and increase the chances of him being a favorite to win MVP.
Earlier this week, Sean Martin, a fellow Staff Writer here at Inside The Star, shared who Fox chose as a favorite to win MVP out of the NFC East division. I encourage you to take a look because they make a compelling case for Tony Romo and Sean didn’t excellent job of writing it up.
//insidethestar.com/cowboys-headlines/fox-picks-tony-romo-as-nfc-easts-most-likely-league-mvp/
Personally, I agree with Fox and I believe that JJ Watt’s injury actually increases the odds that Tony Romo could be the NFL MVP in 2016.
If you think about it, there are not that many players around the league that might be considered early favorites like Tony Romo. As it stands now, I would put Aaron Rodgers and Cam Newton as the only players that could possibly receive more votes for MVP.
Tom Brady’s chances are hurt due to his suspension for the first month of the 2016 season. Ben Roethlisberger is hurt by the fact that two of his offensive weapons will miss the first four games of the season. JJ Watt’s chances of winning MVP has decreased now that he may have to miss part of the season while recovering from his back surgery.
We all know that you can pretty much exclude any defensive players. This has become an offensive league and that is why an offensive player is usually the one that wins NFL MVP.
Who else would you consider a candidate to win MVP other than Tony Romo?
Of course, Tony Romo’s health will play a big part in not only the success of the Dallas Cowboys 2016 season, but also his chances of winning NFL MVP and even Comeback Player of the Year.
I personally think if Tony Romo can have the same type of year like he had in 2014 when he threw for 3,705 yards, 34 touchdowns, and just nine interceptions, then he would definitely be in the running for NFL MVP.
The good news is, that if Tony Romo has any kind of resemblance to an MVP season, then the Dallas Cowboys should be looking at making another playoff berth just like they did in 2014.
So, do you think that JJ Watt’s injury helps Tony Romo’s chances of winning NFL MVP in 2016?
Please feel free to use the comment section below to share your own personal thoughts and opinions on this topic. I really look forward to hearing from you so that we can discuss this further.
