Merriman's Knee Messed Up

On Thursday, rumors surfaced at Profootballtalk.com indicating San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman has a serious knee issue that could cut his career short. And while the rumor was largely dismissed by most Chargers fans as just that -- a rumor -- it appears now that there may be something to the report. At least the part about something being wrong with his knee.

How serious it is, we don't know at this time.

Apparently Merriman doesn't know just how messed up it is either because after talking to Dr. James Andrews he traveled to New York Thursday to see a specialist and is considering getting yet another opinion from another doctor.

Merriman told the San Diego Union Tribune by phone Thursday that he has a "torn posterior cruciate ligament (among other issues)" in his left knee. The North County Times, however, quotes Merriman as saying he has a "loose ligament"

His options now include playing on it the way it is and risking further damage, having surgery that would probably force him to miss the open of the regular season, or undergoing reconstructive surgery that would keep him out all season.

This certainly isn't good news for a squad that has Super Bowl aspirations, and defeinitely not the a cloud the Chargers wanted to begin their season under.

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