When the Eagles return to Lincoln Financial Field this Sunday to face the 49ers, running back Brian Westbrook is likely to be active for the first time in five games. After sustaining his second concussion this season, the team felt it would be best to treat him carefully.
The changing perception of concussions and how serious they are, in both the short and long term, plus the league’s new rules, helped guide how the team would handle him.
Despite beginning this year healthy, we have not seen the Westbrook that the city of Philadelphia knows and loves. His ability to be an explosive player in many facets of the game – from rushing to catching to kick returns, has made the man a perennial threat on the field in years past. Whether it was a nagging injury or a decrease in his skill, we have not seen the same Westbrook on the field.
Westbrook needs to be shut down for the season. Concussions are a tricky business, and considering he has suffered two this season, he should by all means tread lightly. Couple this with his otherwise spotty performance, he surely is battling nagging injuries that need time to heal.
It would be nice to have an extra back on the field, but with the recent performances of rookie LeSean McCoy and fullback Leonard Weaver, the team can get by without him. Throw in the spotty Eldra Buckley for insurance, and you have an Eagles running attack that is more than covered.
Westbrook is not “soft” like some fans have insinuated, but his body is showing the wear and tear that comes with being a running back in this league. It’s not an easy business, and he has taken some nasty hits over the years.
I don’t doubt that Westbrook wants to get back on the field, but even he acknowledged that he was “really scared” about his future in the game, something he acknowledged recently on HBO’s Joe Buck Live.
The team should let Westbrook heal for the rest of the season. Hopefully he returns in 2010, the final year of his contract, healthy both physically and emotionally and able to own the field like he did for most of this decade.
