Future for Brian Westbrook

Since being drafted in the third round of the 2002 NFL draft, Brian Westbrook has been one of the most dynamic players in the league. In his eight seasons, the Eagles have made five appearances in the NFC Championship Game. Westbrook twice made the Pro Bowl, and was named the starting running back on the Eagles 75th Anniversary Team.

The offense has been run through No. 36 for the majority of his time in Philly. When the Eagles decided to draft LeSean McCoy in the second round of the 2009 draft, the common belief was that the rookie would take a few years to learn from one of the most successful dual-threat backs the league has ever seen. Unfortunately, it looks like the future could be now for McCoy and the Eagles franchise.

When Westbrook suffered his first concussion of ‘09 on October 26th, everyone expected him to miss one, maybe two games. He ended up missing two games, regaining his starting gig this past Sunday in San Diego. After collecting 54 total yards, Westbrook slowly walked off the field with another concussion. Suddenly, the future of one of the best players in Eagles franchise history became clouded.

On Wednesday, Westbrook traveled to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center where he underwent a battery of neuro-cognitive tests. The two doctors who evaluated Westbrook plan to repeat the same tests in a few weeks.

“We are very encouraged by Brian’s progress, we believe that he has an excellent prognosis and we expect a full recovery,” reported the doctors evaluating Westbrook. “We developed a comprehensive physical rehab plan for Brian, and we will repeat the detailed testing in the next two to three weeks.”

With Westbrook sure to be inactive for the next few weeks, what does the future hold? I’m no doctor, but from everything I’ve heard about the severity of multiple concussions, I am not expecting Westbrook to contribute on the field for the rest of 2009. If the Eagles fall out of playoff contention, there is no way Andy Reid will risk the long-term health of his beloved Westbrook. However, if they string together some wins and are looking good heading into late December, then the Eagles would take a closer look at his health situation.

It basically will come down to what the doctors say. Even if the doctors give him the O.K. to continue his season, the only way he probably will is if the Eagles have something to play for.

What lies beyond that is very unclear. He has one more guaranteed year on the five-year, $32 million dollar contract he signed in August, 2008. If Westy finds himself on the sideline for the remainder of this season, what will he (and the Eagles) decide to do for 2010? I’m not expecting any quick decisions on this front, and we probably won’t have a good idea until the offseason.

Westbrook has missed 13 games from his 2002 rookie season through 2008. At least three of those games were Reid holding him out for Week 17 to rest for the playoffs. So in his first eight seasons, Westbrook only missed about 9-10 games with injuries. Not quite as injury-prone as those around the league (and in Philly) seem to believe. Sure, he has been on the injury report almost every week. But the guy is a gamer who plays through injuries, and currently finds himself in his most uphill battle yet.

I am holding out hope that we have not seen the last of the greatest Eagles playmaker ever. Ever since being drafted, he has been a consummate professional. A reserved team leader, Westbrook has the respect of his teammates, coaches, and fellow players around the leauge. While he is 30 years old, he has shown that there are some life left in his legs. I’m hoping and praying for the healthy return of my favorite all-time Eagles player.

Tags: Andy Reid, Brian Westbrook, LeSean McCoy, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles