The Green Bay Packers' organization generally takes a cautious approach with injured players, keeping them on the sidelines to hopefully prevent long-term issues.
With that backdrop, one would expect running back Ty Montgomery to sit out Sunday's tilt in Dallas after breaking ribs last week.
Montgomery, however, insisted on Tuesday, he's fighting to play, as long as there is no danger of long-term damage.
"I'm going into this week as if I'm going to play," Montgomery said, via the team's official website. "I'm not willing to risk my overall long-term health, but at the end of the day it's going to be up to me."
Montgomery noted he has already looked at the possibility of wearing a flak jacket or other protective gear. In the end, the running back said he's willing to play through pain.
"You just do it. That's as simple as it is," Montgomery said. "You just do it and gut it out if you can, as long as there's no risk of internal injury."
If the workhorse running back can't go, Jamaal Williams (who said his knee injury was "good") and Aaron Jones will be in line to take over until the starter is cleared.
Montgomery back broke his ribs on the first play of Thursday's win over the Chicago Bears. He played the next five plays before realizing something was wrong.
"The defensive tackle landed full body weight on him, so it was like a hammer-and-nail type situation," Montgomery said of how the injury happened. "His knee was hammered into my rib cage."
Let's repeat that again: "His knee was hammered into my rib cage."
Knee = hammer. Rib cage = broken.
"His knee was hammered into my rib cage."
He played the next five plays.
*"His knee was hammered into my rib cage." *
All of us Johnny Couches should keep in mind what players go through to get on the field each Sunday.
