Wear & Tear take its toll… not good news if this is bad news about this injury.
The Chargers need all hands on deck this season if they are going to make a push to go deep in the playoffs before the expiration date on Philip Rivers career takes place.
The Bolts don’t need this piece of news that leaked out. That one of the last remaining veteran offensive lineman on the team, is out with double surgery. Jeromey Clary, who served so ably at right tackle, then moved inside and played so wll at guard is ailing. Surgery on his shoulder…surgery on his hip.
He has had a rock solid career, a blue collar guy, who came from Kansas State, and became a warrior out on the edge. And with the arrival of DJ Fluker, he became an anchor and teacher and tough guy at right guard.
Clary has 100,000 miles on that frame and he played hurt all last year. Like the other ‘last man standing’, center Nick Hardwick, they are all that is left in a once strongboy offensive line. Marcus McNeill and Kris Dielman left with injuries ending thier career just two seasons back.
Hardwick has had his own on-going miseries with neck stingers and shoulders too, the aftermath of 10-years of struggles with big defensive lineman.
If tis is the end for Clary, it is a bad sign in San Diego. Left on the roster are young Johnnie Troutman, who couldn’t hold onto a starting job; journeyman Rich Orhnbeger, a scrapper, but not a star, and just drafted, but undersized Chris Watt.
Fans have taken to bashing Clary over the years. He may not be artistic, but he is combative and he is tough, and he is needed. If he cannot come back, you’ll soon find out how valuable he was on the field, even if the paying public didn’t value him at all.
Not the kind of news the Chargers need going into next season…