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Playing professional football can be hazardous for your health, and it’s a common sentiment around the league that by the end of the year, everyone is dealing with one injury or another. The capacity for pain tolerance is a big factor in deciding one’s chances of success in the NFL, and New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan knows that as well as anyone. It’s why he admitted to NFL.com’s Michael Silver that he finished the 2019 season with a core muscle injury that required surgery two days after Super Bowl LIV.
Jordan told Silver that he tore an adductor muscle off the bone in last year’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers, but gutted out the pain to play 248 snaps in the final five weeks. While Jordan did get opportunities to rest in blowout victories over the Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers, he still played 83.9% or more of defensive snaps in three of those last five contests — and then went on to join his teammates in the Pro Bowl. In total, just three Saints defenders saw more action in 2019 than Jordan (who was in on 876 plays): linebacker Demario Davis (984 snaps), free safety Marcus Williams (949), and cornerback Eli Apple (932).
Jordan’s been an iron man for the Saints ever since he won the starting job, back in 2012. He’s logged 7,626 defensive snaps during that time and never missed a game, with last year’s total being a career-low. While Silver’s report adds that Jordan expects to be fully recovered from offseason surgery by the time Saints training camp begins, it illustrates an important point — the team must take steps to keep him better-rested during the long NFL season, which is poised to only stretch longer with CBA negotiations surrounding a 17th regular season game. Jordan is one of the Saints’ best players, and it’s vital that he be in top form during the year’s biggest games. Maybe the Saints should look into rotating him in and out of the lineup a little more efficiently.
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