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At the Senior Bowl practice sessions this week, Mile High Huddle’s Carl Dumler and Mile High Report’s Jeffrey Essary caught up with Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Joe Woods on Thursday.
Dumler asked Woods about Derek Wolfe and his recovery after a serious neck issue that sidelined him late last season. The answer was a relief.
Great conversation with Woods and great question by @CarlDumlerMHH
— Jeffrey Essary (@JeffreyEssary) January 25, 2018
Woods emphasized that the next step for Wolfe is gaining confidence to play full speed after recovering. https://t.co/kRiPg5KglO
It sounds like the doctors have found the issue in Wolfe’s neck and corrected it. Wolfe is now rehabbing and on the road to full recovery. That is great news as Woods went on to say, “He’s feeling really confident. He’s a good player for us, he’s kinda the backbone of our defensive front.”
Wolfe was dealing with spinal stenosis in the C7 segment of his neck. That was serious enough to spark concerns that he may be finished in the NFL, but with this report that doctors have successfully corrected the issue and he is on his way to recovery puts those concerns to rest.
“We get (the neck) fixed up, and I won’t have to deal with it ever again,” Wolfe said in December. “I did a lot of neck strengthening and sometimes that closes the holes where the nerves come out. I have to make sure to keep those clear and keep pressure off the neck. Right now I am taking time to heal.”
The injury bug has been an annoying issue for Wolfe over the last two seasons, but having half of last season and the entire offseason in 2018 to rest and heal might be a good thing. Wolfe finished with 31 tackles and two sacks in 2017.