Jermichael Finley’s Spinal Fusion Surgery To Require 3-4 Month Recovery

Andrea Kremer reports that Packers TE Jermichael Finley underwent successful spinal fusion surgery on Thursday.

• Kremer adds that Finley is already walking and has returned to Green Bay.
• Finley is hoping to start “light workouts” in the next few weeks and is expected to require a 3-4 month recovery.
• The procedure was performed by Steelers neurosurgeon Dr. Joseph Maroon.

This clearly good news for Finley as it appears as though he has a decent chance of continuing his NFL career next season. There was some concerns raised that his injury could be career-ending following comments made by former Packers TE Mark Chmura, but Finley’s agent refuted these comments in a statement released earlier this week.

Finley, 26, will be an unrestricted free agent following the season, so it will be interesting to see what kind of market develops for him. The Packers don’t have a clear-cut replacement on their roster, so there is at least a small chance he could be back in Green Bay. It’s not often that quality young tight ends are available, but his fusion surgery will most likely be a concern that could force him to sign a one-year incentive based contract.

We recently dropped Finley to No. 49 overall in our Top 50 – Free Agent rankings based on these concerns.