ERIC’S OUT
Eric ruled out Sunday, may require shoulder surgery
Decker will miss Jets’ game against Seahawks with shoulder injury
Eric Decker hoped this would be the year he avoided injury and played 16 healthy games. His plans were shattered Friday. The Jets wide receiver has been diagnosed with a partial tear in his right rotator cuff, Todd Bowles revealed. Decker will not play Sunday against the Seahawks. He is officially “week-to-week,” according to Bowles, who said he is “not sure” if Decker’s injury will be season ending. “They have to monitor it,” Bowles said of the Jets’ training staff. “They said some people play with it. Over the course of time, we’ll see how it goes.”
Decker said he has already formulated a plan with the coaches, trainers and doctors to help him return to the field as soon as possible. For now, he will focus on rehab, which includes broadening his range of motion and strengthening the muscles around the rotator cuff to prevent further setbacks.
“It’s something that kind of sucks at this point. It’s early in the season,” Decker said. “But that’s something that I’ve got to deal with.”
Bowles noted “it’s too early to tell” if Decker will need surgery to repair the tear. “If it gets to that point later on, we’ll make that decision,” the coach said.
Decker reiterated Bowles’ point, saying he’s “not sure” if the injury will eventually require surgery. However, he said he will do everything he can to avoid surgery this season.
“Down the road, we’ll have that discussion when needed,” Decker said. “But right now, my focus is to do what I can as far as rehab and see where I’m at.”
Regardless of how effective that rehab is, Decker doesn’t anticipate returning to full health this season.
“Of course, there’s going to be pain. Everyone plays with pain. This is a physical game,” Decker said. “So I don’t expect myself to be 100 percent at some point. It’s just getting to where it’s manageable and… I can still play the same game that I need to play.”
Decker is the second Jets wide receiver to be ruled out this week. Rookie Jalin Marshall,
Gang Green’s No. 4 wideout, is sidelined at least a week (probably more) with a labrum injury he suffered against the Chiefs. So Quincy Enunwa — who’s caught 17 passes on 25 targets for 183 yards and a touchdown — will slide into the No. 2 role, while rookie Robby Anderson — who hauled in his first two career catches in Kansas City — becomes the Jets’ No. 3 receiver.
Rookie Charone Peake will also see increased playing time.
“If somebody goes down, we still have guys that don’t think that the stage is too big for them,” Enunwa said. “I’m excited to see what they’re capable of.”
This is not Decker’s first bout with shoulder problems. The receiver said he endured similar injuries while still playing baseball.
Decker spent two seasons with the University of Minnesota baseball team and was drafted by the Brewers and Twins in 2008 and 2009, respectively. According to Pro Baseball Reference, Decker bats and throws left-handed.
“Just the multiple swings, the positions you put yourself in,” Decker said of his baseball-related shoulder injuries. “But again, I think everyone, if you go under the scan, you would see everyone has a little bit of a tear.”
Despite his history of shoulder issues, Decker said he was pain free after the first week of this season. He suffered the initial rotator cuff injury when he fell on his shoulder in the Jets’ 37-31 win over the Bills in Buffalo on Sept. 15. Originally, he thought it was an AC joint sprain.
Decker tried to battle through the discomfort, and after missing practices on Sept. 21 and Sept. 22, he participated fully last Friday.
He then suited up against the Chiefs for Gang Green’s 24-3 loss in Kansas City and aggravated the rotator cuff tear. He caught one pass for 31 yards.
Decker said there wasn’t a specific play on which he re-injured the shoulder. It was wear and tear over the course of the contest.
“When you put yourself in a position with your arms or trying to push off or separate using hand combat, you’re going to irritate the joint,” Decker said. “So that’s just kind of the progress that happened.”