Ben Burr-Kirven was told he couldn’t play football again

Through the miracles of modern medicine, an experimental surgery could perhaps revive his dream of playing in the NFL

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven, a name 12’s probably have not thought about in a while, looks to be back in action. Originally a fifth round pick in the 2019 NFL draft, Burr-Kirven had mostly been a depth player and special teamer for Seattle.

Unfortunately, a devastating knee injury suffered in 2021 almost put the kibosh on his NFL career. Not only did the former Washington Husky tear his ACL, he also suffered extensive nerve damage in his knee.

But through the miracles of modern medicine, an experimental surgery could perhaps revive his dream of playing in the NFL. It was a long road to even get to this point, one where Burr-Kirven was told he could no longer play football. In an interview on Seahawks.com, Burr-Kirven spoke at length on this topic:

Oh, definitely,” he quickly responded when asked if he doubted he’d ever return. “Because that’s what I was being told. I was being told I wasn’t going to play football again. So that’s what I was trying to suss out, am I really done, or are there things I can do? … I just decided, all right, let’s see how far we can take this, and if I couldn’t get back here, I couldn’t get back here, but there wasn’t going any scenario in which I didn’t at least try and see what was possible…

It was a long journey to get to this point, and it’s going to be an even longer one if he wants to remain a Seahawk. But given the fact he has made it this far, perhaps the young man has what it takes to go a little further.

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