Injured Irvin might play again this season
Updated 3:03 PM ET October 11, 1999
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Emergency personnel immobilize Michael Irvin's head and neck after the injury. (AP)
Wide receiver Michael Irvin, released from the Philadelphia hospital where he was treated Sunday night for spinal cord trauma, returned to Dallas early Monday evening on owner Jerry Jones' private jet.
The Dallas Cowboys wide receiver's return to the playing field, however, is likely to take quite a bit longer, SportsLine has learned.
Irvin's agent, Steve Endicott, told SportsLine that he "fully expects" his client to play again this season but acknowledged the 12-year veteran sustained a serious injury that will take "considerable time" to heal and declined to speculate when the wide receiver might be back in the Cowboys' lineup.
"I haven't talked to Michael today, so I'm just going by what the Cowboys are telling me," Endicott said. "I think it will be four to six weeks, but who knows? I do feel confident, based on everything I've heard so far, that he'll play again at some point this season. But he's not going to play until this thing is completely healed and until the doctors say it's absolutely safe. This kind of thing is nothing to fool with, you know? I guess if there's a positive, it's that Michael is in good spirits and very determined (to play again)."
Another source close to Irvin agreed with Endicott's analysis, but told SportsLine there "is a chance" that if the swelling in his spinal cord is not significantly reduced over the next 7-10 days, the wide receiver might miss the remainder of this season. Irvin sustained the injury early in Dallas' 13-10 loss to the Eagles when he was hit by safety Tim Hauck. His head and neck were driven into the often-criticized artificial surface of Veterans Stadium and he lay motionless on the field for several minutes. After about a 10-minute delay as medical personnel made certain he was immobilized, Irvin was taken to an ambulance on a back board.
Accompanied by Jones in the ambulance, Irvin was transported to the spinal unit at the Thomas Jefferson Hospital, where specialists determined he had swelling in at least two areas of the spinal cord along with a herniated disc. Endicott indicated doctors will not be able to fully assess the damage to the spinal cord until the swelling subsides and Cowboys trainer Jim Maurer delivered a similar message.
"It's really too hard to tell how long he's going to be out right now," Maurer said. "We're optimistic Mike will be back this year."
Irvin, 33, is scheduled to be examined by a Dallas spine specialist on Wednesday and will undergo an MRI exam at that time. That test will be compared with one taken Sunday, which indicated swelling near the base of the skull. Maurer confirmed Irvin, the ninth-leading receiver in league history, lost feeling in his extremities after the injury and said he did not have "full motor skills" for about 15-20 minutes. By early Monday, Irvin had regained full motor skills and it was determined then to release him.
The Dallas passing game suffered in the absence of Irvin, and several defensive coordinators opined Monday that it will not be difficult now to pay more attention to speedster Rocket Ismail. But the overriding concern from the Cowboys and people close to Irvin was for the player's total recovery.
"We'll do everything by the book, believe me," Endicott said. "I just feel like, with his competitiveness and spirit, he's going to come back fine. But he won't come back until he's fine."
Veteran Ernie Mills will inherit Irvin's starting job and rookie Wane McGarity, a fourth-round draft choice from Texas, will see increased playing time. Coach Chan Gailey, who termed los loss of Irvin as "huge", said the team had not yet determined what further moves might be necessary.
The Cowboys may add a veteran receiver, possibly free agent Alvin Harper, after the extent of the injury to Irvin is further evaluated. Harper, who hasn't played in the NFL since 1997, worked out last week for the Cowboys.
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