Don't panic about that ESPN report regarding Alex Smith's shoulder. Smith is not seeking a second opinion from noted orthopedic surgeon James Andrews at Stanford as ESPN reported last night. Instead, the team's head trainer, Jeff Ferguson, is friendly with Andrews and has sent Andrews a copy of Smith's MRI results, which were taken Monday. It's standard procedure at this level.
I thought the ESPN piece seemed funny when it mentioned the serious tendon damage Smith had suffered. Instead, Smith suffered torn ligaments, which are expected to scar over and heal on their own. Smith certainlly suffered a serious injury and his collarbone is detached from his shoulder. But the collarbone is essentially in the right spot -- if it weren't, there would be a need for surgery -- and Smith is expected to make a full recovery.
-- Matt Barrows
@Nyx.CommentBody@