Myles Jack Admits He May Need Microfracture Surgery At Some Point, Teams Want Injury Waiver?

Update:

Tony Pauline reports that some teams are considering asking UCLA LB Myles Jack to agree to an injury waiver before drafting him.

• Pauline adds that the injury waiver would be a clause that waives any compensation for Jack if he reinjures his knee.
• The team would to be called while on the clock before making the request of Jack.

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UCLA LB Myles Jack admitted that his knee could eventually require microfracture surgery at some point.

“[The degenerative problems are] there, but it’s nothing extreme,” Jack told Bart Hubbuch. “Down the line, possibly I could have microfracture surgery – potentially. Who knows what will happen? Nobody knows how long anybody is going to play in this league. To play three years in this league would be above average.”

While Jack may be trying to highlight the average length of an NFL career, these comments indicate that he’s aware that his career could be limited due to the knee injury he sustained last year.

Earlier in the day, Mike Mayock mentioned that he’d be “very surprised if he goes in the top 10,” per Bob Glauber.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported yesterday that Jack is vulnerable to draft slide, due to concerns about his knee.

The torn lateral meniscus Jack sustained reportedly isn’t the issue for NFL teams. Instead, the concern is in regards to fact that cartilage and bone have begun to separate in Jack’s knee, creating an osteochondral defect.

According to Rapoport, if or when he bone and cartilage fully separate, Jack will need to undergo another procedure, which would likely lead to him missing an extended period of time. Beyond that, Rapoport doesn’t rule out the possibility that he may need to have microfracture surgery.

All of this has reportedly led to some concern whether Jack will ever get a second contract in the NFL.

“Is he a four-year player or a 10-year player? But technology is better now. So we really don’t know,” a top evaluator said to Rapoport.

Last week, a source told Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News that Jack’s knee is “a time bomb.” According to Bowen’s source, Jack’s knee situation could be similar to former Saints and Jets LB Jonathan Vilma, who played around six-seven healthy years in the NFL.

Jack is considered to be one of the top talents in this year’s draft class, so even if the concerns are overblown in terms of his immediate future, questions will remain about the long-term health of his knee.

During his three years at UCLA, Jack recorded 178 tackles, 15 tackles for a loss, one sack, four interceptions, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and 19 pass defenses.

For what it’s worth, we have the Jaguars taking Jack at No. 5 overall in our recently updated 2016 NFL Mock Draft.