Santonio Holmes has been medically cleared by a foot specialist to begin football activities, according to a report by the New York Post. But Holmes refuses to practice.
Brian Costello reported that many people around the New York Jets believe the wide receiver is just trying to avoid training camp and is healthier than he's letting on. Holmes said Wednesday he can't run routes and still feels pain in his foot every morning.
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"I can't pinpoint a day when it will feel better because every day has been the same up until this point," Holmes said. "I feel good some days. I don't the others. This pain won't go away."
The Jets publicly have said that Holmes has not been medically cleared. The team is likely to double down on that approach after Costello's report in order to minimize the drama around Holmes. But there's a real concern within the team, according to Costello, that this is only the beginning.
"There is a theory around the Jets that Holmes will suddenly pronounce himself ready to play when the regular season arrives in two weeks and training camp is through," Costello wrote. "Holmes also missed most of last year's training camp with what was listed as 'general body soreness' and then a rib injury.
"Others inside the Jets think Holmes could wait to see how the team starts the season before deciding when to play. If the team is losing, he may wait a while. If things are going well, he will join the party."
This is what happens when teams just can't bear to cut ties with talented players who have clearly soured well past their expiration date with the team. We've seen this standoff coming for a while, with sources "close to Holmes" telling reporters he should miss the first month of the season, while the Jets have expressed hope he'd be ready for Week 1. Holmes publicly wasn't even sure if he'd play this season.
Holmes has been the source of a lot of the off-field headaches during the Rex Ryan era. By keeping Holmes around another season, the team invited these kind of stories.
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