The most decorated members of the Seattle Seahawks' Legion of Boom secondary were more injured than they let on leading up to Super Bowl XLIX.
All-Pro cornerback Richard Shermanmight need Tommy John surgery to repair ligament damage sustained in the NFC Championship Game. All-Pro free safety Earl Thomas is also a candidate for surgery after dislocating his shoulder in the same game.
It's three-time Pro Bowl strong safety Kam Chancellor, though, whose status was most in question leading up to the matchup with the Patriots.
As it turns out, Chancellor was battling through more than a deep bone bruise in his knee.
The examination for that injury, which occurred in last Friday's practice, revealed a tear in his MCL, likely from a previous injury.
"There are some people that get injured and can't even play this game," Chancellor said, via the team's official website. "So you've got to be grateful for how you're feeling at the moment.
"Shoot, my injury happened two days before the game and they told me I wasn't going to be able to play. They told me, 'Torn MCL and bone bruise.' I was mad. I was frustrated. But at the end of the day, I was able to play."
Coach Pete Carroll described the effort of his three injured superstars as "heroic." All three continued to play at a high level despite limited strength and range of motion.
The Seahawks have proven to be one of the NFL's toughest teams, physically as well as mentally, over the past two years. We have no reason to believe that will change in the near future.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast recaps Super Bowl XLIX, including Malcolm Butler's game-sealing interception, Tom Brady's legacy and more. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
