St Louis Rams head physician Dr Matthew Matava has said that NFL teams are no longer scared of signing players that have torn their Achilles.
Between 1997 and 2001, two thirds of players who ruptured the tendon missed 11 months and suffered from reduced productivity upon their return, but San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree returned just six months after sustaining such an injury last year.
Matava, who is also a spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, told USA Today: "For those guys who do tear it, it's very much expected the player will be able to come back and still compete. It was never a death sentence. But I don't think it scares teams off as much as perhaps it used to.
"For those players that don't have any sort of contractual issues or they're bubble guys to begin with, I would expect a much higher return to play rate."
New England Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork and Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Leon Hall are among the players currently recovering from the injury.
Sian Cowper
