SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

What is a stinger? Brock Huard explains following injuries to Seahawks’ starters

Nov 17, 2017, 12:28 PM

seahawks, kam chancellor...

Pete Carroll announced Monday that Kam Chancellor would miss the remainder of the season. (AP)

(AP)

LISTEN: What is a stinger and what tests are Kam Chancellor and Cliff Avril undergoing to treat one?

Just over a month after losing defensive end Cliff Avril to a stinger, the Seahawks saw safety Kam Chancellor exit a Week 10 game against the Arizona Cardinals with a similar injury. Avril has since been placed on the injured reserve list, and a lack of updates on Chancellor’s condition has fans concerned.

No news is not good news when it comes to Kam Chancellor

A stinger can be relatively common to varying degrees in contact sports, but depending on the severity or frequency, the benign-sounding injury can sometimes be career-threatening. 710 ESPN Seattle’s Brock Huard took time on his Blue 42 segment of Brock and Salk Friday to help fans make sense of it all.

“Basically, a stinger is just pinching your nerve or your spinal cord in some kind of manner,” Huard said, “and the danger, especially when it came to Cliff, is it was just repetitive; they were happening more and more frequently. Sometimes it can be a disk that kind of jars into, that contacts or hits into your nerves, your spinal cord and causes that sensation that (many athletes) have had to some degree at some point when we play football. But for Cliff, it was happening at an incredibly frequent rate – (a rate) of which none of us really knew, and still don’t know. I think it’s very similar here for Kam (Chancellor).

“As far as the tests go, my hunch and my belief is (Chancellor) is going to go and have his MRIs that are going to be passed around to all the experts and see just what’s going on, and how much damage if any you’re already doing to your spinal cord.”

While stingers can often be a short-term issue, recovery for more severe cases can take months.  And long-term health risks for recurring stingers can including chronic conditions, like degenerative disk disease.

Chancellor’s injury was just over one week ago, and information is limited; there’s no way for fans to know yet whether or not it’s as costly as Avril’s. Carroll said Thursday Chancellor was still undergoing tests and he doesn’t yet know when the All Pro safety could return.

“Eventually you get bruising in your spinal cord,” Huard continued, noting the long-term risks of neck injuries. “Eventually you get a narrowing of your spinal cord, eventually you have the experts saying, ‘Enough is enough, you’re putting yourself at way too much risk,’ and I think that’s the word for Cliff and I hope that’s not the fully the word for Kam, and we won’t know here for some time.”

Seattle Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks NFL Draft Jackson Powers-Johnson...

Brandon Gustafson

Brock’s Seahawks Draft Profiles: ‘The best center’ in the 2024 class

If the Seattle Seahawks want to boost their offensive line, Brock Huard wouldn't mind if they draft Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson.

4 hours ago

Seattle Seahawks NFL Draft Payton Wilson...

Brandon Gustafson

Brock’s Seahawks Draft Profile: ‘Twitched up’ LB fills a need

Next up in Brock Huard's Seattle Seahawks draft profiles is a very intriguing defender in North Carolina State linebacker Payton Wilson.

1 day ago

Seattle Seahawks Sam Howell...

Brandon Gustafson

New Seahawks QB Sam Howell describes trade, his role and more

The Seattle Seahawks have a new QB in Sam Howell, and he joined Brock & Salk on Wednesday to describe the trade that sent him to the Hawks.

1 day ago

Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith quarterback...

Stacy Rost

Are Seahawks really not Super Bowl contenders because of QB?

FOX Sports' Joel Klatt said the Seattle Seahawks "don't have the requisite quarterback play" to be a Super Bowl contender. Is he right?

1 day ago

Seattle Seahawks draft profile Bralen Trice UW Huskies...

Brent Stecker

Brock’s Seahawks Draft Profile: Pros, cons of UW DE Bralen Trice

For Day 2 of Brock Huard's Seattle Seahawks draft profiles, the former UW Huskies quarterback when with a name from his alma mater: defensive end Bralen Trice.

2 days ago

Seattle Seahawks Geno Smith...

Brandon Gustafson

FOX Sports’ Klatt: Seahawks’ quarterbacks ‘are not the answer’

"They don't have the requisite quarterback play to do that," FOX's Joel Klatt said of the Seattle Seahawks being a Super Bowl contender.

2 days ago

What is a stinger? Brock Huard explains following injuries to Seahawks’ starters