Posted on June 4, 2016 by Travis Pulver
image via cbssports.com
Every season the NFL likes to put microphones on players during games so fans could hear what it sounds like to be on the field during play. Sometimes the only sounds captured are heavy breathing and the crack of the pads. Often players are caught talking trash about their opponents and strategy with teammates.
But don’t expect ever to hear Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb mic’d up again.
During the Packers-Cardinals division playoff game last season, he was mic’d up. During the first quarter, he attempted to make a play on the ball and ended up landing on his back. He ended up leaving the game after coughing up blood.
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At the time, the team said it was a bruised lung. It was eventually proven to be a punctured lung—and Cobb believes it was because of the mic.
“There’s no way of actually proving it but I didn’t break or fracture a rib,” Cobb said via PackersNew.com. “I’ve said this multiple times. This theory isn’t anything new. It’s something we’ve talked about plenty of occasions. There’s no way to prove it, but there’s no way to disprove it, either. I’ll never be mic’d up again.”
Fractured ribs are the typical cause of punctured lungs, but Cobb’s ribs were fine.
Cobb acknowledges that he will miss out on some cool stuff by not wearing a microphone anymore, but it is not worth risking an injury wearing one.
This wasn’t the first time he has worn one, and he had never had a problem with it before.
“I’ve never had a problem with it before. Possibly, it was just the way I landed. I landed flush on my back with the battery pack on. You probably won’t land too often like that but unfortunately, the one time I did, I had a bad injury from it,” Cobb said in a CBS Sports report.
As important as he is to the Packers offense, fans will likely not have a problem with him not wearing a microphone again. They will, however, have a problem if he doesn’t return to the form he showed in 2014 next season.
Cobb went from catching 91 passes for 1287 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2014 to 79 receptions for 829 yards and six touchdowns.
He missed not having Jordy Nelson spreading defenses and demanding defenses pay attention to him, but he should have Nelson back when the regular season starts. Nelson is participating during OTAs, but the team is having him take it easy. No sense in having him push it and risk injury during a glorified game of catch.
With Cobb and Nelson on the field and healthy, the emergence of tight end Richard Rogers, and the addition of another tight end in Jared Cook the Packers passing game should be in good shape next season. Should the new and improved—and slimmer—Eddie Lacy revive the running game, it would not be shocking to see the Packers make another deep run in the postseason.