Throughout the offseason, there was a lot of optimism surrounding Jahvid Best's recovery from a season-ending concussion. He took part in the offseason training program, and the expectation was for him to be cleared for contact in time for training camp. That did not happen, unfortunately, and the Detroit Lions instead put Best on the PUP list on Friday.
The lack of clearance for Best has produced quite a bit of concern about not only how long he will miss training camp, but also about his career in the NFL. Jim Schwartz said on Friday that Best has "some ground to cover" in some areas in order to get cleared, but he's "optimistic." Best is also "optimistic" about eventually being cleared by doctors and thinks "everybody's being extra careful" since he's coming back from a concussion.
"I’m just focusing on what I can do to get cleared," he said. "That’s all I can really say. I’m definitely optimistic about it. I’ve talked to a bunch of doctors and now it's just waiting to get cleared."
Best didn't have much to say about what not being cleared right now means for his career, as he said that thoughts of retirement or missing another season haven't crossed his mind.
Best is hoping to be cleared and on the field in "days," but Schwartz said Best's progress will be judged "week to week" rather than daily. In other words, it may take Best some time to get cleared to return.
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