Welcome to the offseason.
You know it's officially post-Super Bowl for the NFL not just because the proliferation of mock drafts escalated exponentially, but thanks to injured players sharing videos of their rehab processes on social media.
The first entry we'll pass on comes from Arizona Cardinals All-Pro running back David Johnson:
Leaping out of water is impressive when healthy. Doing it after a sprained MCL adds a measurable degree of difficulty.
The fact that Johnson avoided surgery after what looked like a gruesome Week 17 knee injury was surprising at the time. Johnson's rehab timeline is estimated to be 6-8 weeks. He looks to be hitting his marks just fine and should be ready for another explosive season.
Our second entry comes from Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith:
Smith spent his rookie season on the non-football injury list after a knee injury suffered in a college bowl game. The linebacker showing off his change-of-direction, more than a year after surgery, is a substantial positive toward a return to the playing field.
The nerve damage sustained by the injury caused some teams to pass on the speedy linebacker, who was projected to be a top-10 pick before the injury. The nerve damage has reportedly improved in recent months.
