He's still pissed at the Packers. How things ended forever serves as fuel. A good thing for these Detroit Lions. They'll need "Z" — in full — to go on a Super Bowl run.
I’m a physician. You can’t see a disk bulge by looking at someone’s back. I’m sure they did an MRI and opinions on disk bulges vary when it’s a subtle finding. The decision to operate is also variable. Sounds like Smith didn’t like the Packers physicians’ approach - but that doesn’t make them wrong. In GB, the physicians are trusted and make decisions and opinions regardless of managements desire and views of a player’s value. Smith just is, and has always been, an angry guy who thinks the world is out to get him. You guys should know better than to treat a disgruntled player’s view of his medical journey as if it were gospel or even if sounds the least bit medically accurate - which this description most definitely does not.
There was a scan. But I do get that there’s more than one way to handle this situation. Too often, however, what happens to a player behind the scenes goes completely unreported and unknown. Everyone can have the opinion they want on Smith. He had a lot to say.
You and I both know that Smith is FOS - he is a chronic malcontent that often exerted minimal effort when playing for the Packers and excelled at being a drama queen. I watched the games and read or listened to the post game analysis by Mr. McGinn. There are a plethora of opinions held by Mr. McGinn I disagree with but not this one. I can only say good riddance and happy to see the Lions drinking the poison. The points made by Dr. Hiken above are spot on.
There’s nothing worse than a physician who makes diagnoses without ever seeing the patient, especially when that physician may be a fan of the team. If anyone thinks that NFL team doctors put the long-term welfare of a player ahead of the short-term interests of their employer, that’s pure Pollyanna. Z sought a second opinion, as he should have. The Packers’ behavior before, during and after he got that second opinion was punitive and juvenile. It’s indefensible and as clear as the Hippocratic Oath.
Well said, Rog. It's not a Packers-only problem, too. I've lost track of the # of times players got a much clearer view of their injury from a doctor outside of the team. To the extreme, of course, you've got the Chargers stabbing Tyrod Taylor in the lung. When that happened, multiple players told me such horror stories are incredibly common throughout the NFL. Some players are willing to open up about what happened.
Tyler, you must know that the Packers medical staff is considered highly conservative about letting players back into action after injury. I’m sure many medical staffs are not. My point was that Smith’s description of his visible “bulge” is a medical impossibility from a disk - that is located on the OTHER side of the spinal cord from your back and entirely contained within the spinal canal. And then accuses his team physicians of missing or, worse, willfully disregarding such an obvious physical exam finding. That is ridiculous at face value. The fact that he has been a disgruntled player at multiple teams, always thinking he’s being mistreated, is a red flag. giving voice to his narrative is fine but failing to put it into context and in the real world algorithms of medical decision-making and failing to point out an obvious medical impossibility is not. I highly respect your writing but journalism demand some fact checking when an assertion is so controversial.
Thank you for the note here, James. On the first point, I agree. That's why I wrote this: Knifing criticism that came as a surprise given the traditionally conservative approach taken by the Packers’ medical staff. If anything, they’ve erred on the side of caution over the years.
Remember that being an odd layer to Za'Darius displeasure with how the team treated his back.
Also noted the fact that he's been on several teams as a potential red flag.
As an avid reader of Go Long here, you know there's the NFL portrayed at the podium. Then there's everything that happens behind the scenes. There's everything players go through to play on Sundays. Some choose to hold it in. Some choose to share their experiences. I think it's good to give players a space to relive the good, bad and ugly in what's the most violent team sport in America. These are always the ones sacrificing body and brain. In this case, at the end of the day, only Za'Darius Smith knows how Za'Darius Smith felt the summer of 2021. If folks want to immediately dismiss what Za'Darius says, fine. That's always your prerogative. But imo, his opinion shouldn't be completely dismissed simply because he has played for five different teams in 10 years.
I appreciate you taking the time, James! Love when we can get some dialogue going here in the comments after stories. Will do a better job of diving into these in 2025, too. Keep 'em coming.
You seem to have a lot of inside knowledge of exactly what happened. Are you affiliated with the team? An agent for a player? I’m really curious how you know exactly what happened.
So, apparently, there is a limit to the length of comments. Who knew?
I’m not saying that Smith’s account isn’t completely accurate, but it is very one-sided and legally, there are limitations on what teams and physicians can disclose publicly.
Here’s the nutshell: NFL teams are not covered by HIPAA but are still limited by the league and consent waivers in player contracts regarding what they can and cannot release regarding injuries, treatments, and playing probability.
The team physicians and third party physicians are covered by HIPAA.
However, malpractice insurance does not cover HIPAA, as that generally requires cyber insurance and typically covers cyber breaches and not voluntary disclosures of protected health information.
Given the penalties for teams and physicians exceeding the scope of what is covered in consent waivers, teams (and the league) generally release minimum, high-level information only in accordance with the player’s consent waiver.
So, the question for Z and the Packers is did Z or his agents consent to the Packers, their team physicians, or even the specialist he sought out in L.A. to disclose specific details about his injury or treatment? Because if not, Z can say whatever he wants (and again, it may all be true) and the Packers, their physicians, or third party physicians are prevented from addressing claims involving specific injuries, diagnoses, or treatments.
It's a shame it ended that way for Smith in GB. He does seem to be a bit of a lone voice in the wilderness when it comes to intense hatred for the Packers' organization. But he is missed. He's clearly one of those guys whose value extends beyond the field, fwiw.
And he won't be the last. I'd argue it happens less often here than elsewhere, although I don't know that for certain. I know there aren't a whole lot of disgruntled former Packers out there with a similar story.
If Z was standing in front of you, I’m guessing you’d button up about calling him a clown. So easy to talk tough behind a keyboard. The Clown has a better chance of winning the Super Bowl in Detroit this year than he would have if he was still wearing the colors of your can-do-no-wrong team. If the Vikings don’t win it, I hope Z and his mates do.
“Z got nothing from GB.” Other than $50 million-plus of the $66 million contract that Green Bay eagerly offered him? Z had yucks all the way to the bank during his time in Green Bay. Don’t worry MB; it wasn’t your money.
I’m a physician. You can’t see a disk bulge by looking at someone’s back. I’m sure they did an MRI and opinions on disk bulges vary when it’s a subtle finding. The decision to operate is also variable. Sounds like Smith didn’t like the Packers physicians’ approach - but that doesn’t make them wrong. In GB, the physicians are trusted and make decisions and opinions regardless of managements desire and views of a player’s value. Smith just is, and has always been, an angry guy who thinks the world is out to get him. You guys should know better than to treat a disgruntled player’s view of his medical journey as if it were gospel or even if sounds the least bit medically accurate - which this description most definitely does not.
There was a scan. But I do get that there’s more than one way to handle this situation. Too often, however, what happens to a player behind the scenes goes completely unreported and unknown. Everyone can have the opinion they want on Smith. He had a lot to say.
You and I both know that Smith is FOS - he is a chronic malcontent that often exerted minimal effort when playing for the Packers and excelled at being a drama queen. I watched the games and read or listened to the post game analysis by Mr. McGinn. There are a plethora of opinions held by Mr. McGinn I disagree with but not this one. I can only say good riddance and happy to see the Lions drinking the poison. The points made by Dr. Hiken above are spot on.
There’s nothing worse than a physician who makes diagnoses without ever seeing the patient, especially when that physician may be a fan of the team. If anyone thinks that NFL team doctors put the long-term welfare of a player ahead of the short-term interests of their employer, that’s pure Pollyanna. Z sought a second opinion, as he should have. The Packers’ behavior before, during and after he got that second opinion was punitive and juvenile. It’s indefensible and as clear as the Hippocratic Oath.
Well said, Rog. It's not a Packers-only problem, too. I've lost track of the # of times players got a much clearer view of their injury from a doctor outside of the team. To the extreme, of course, you've got the Chargers stabbing Tyrod Taylor in the lung. When that happened, multiple players told me such horror stories are incredibly common throughout the NFL. Some players are willing to open up about what happened.
Tyler, you must know that the Packers medical staff is considered highly conservative about letting players back into action after injury. I’m sure many medical staffs are not. My point was that Smith’s description of his visible “bulge” is a medical impossibility from a disk - that is located on the OTHER side of the spinal cord from your back and entirely contained within the spinal canal. And then accuses his team physicians of missing or, worse, willfully disregarding such an obvious physical exam finding. That is ridiculous at face value. The fact that he has been a disgruntled player at multiple teams, always thinking he’s being mistreated, is a red flag. giving voice to his narrative is fine but failing to put it into context and in the real world algorithms of medical decision-making and failing to point out an obvious medical impossibility is not. I highly respect your writing but journalism demand some fact checking when an assertion is so controversial.
Thank you for the note here, James. On the first point, I agree. That's why I wrote this: Knifing criticism that came as a surprise given the traditionally conservative approach taken by the Packers’ medical staff. If anything, they’ve erred on the side of caution over the years.
Remember that being an odd layer to Za'Darius displeasure with how the team treated his back.
Also noted the fact that he's been on several teams as a potential red flag.
As an avid reader of Go Long here, you know there's the NFL portrayed at the podium. Then there's everything that happens behind the scenes. There's everything players go through to play on Sundays. Some choose to hold it in. Some choose to share their experiences. I think it's good to give players a space to relive the good, bad and ugly in what's the most violent team sport in America. These are always the ones sacrificing body and brain. In this case, at the end of the day, only Za'Darius Smith knows how Za'Darius Smith felt the summer of 2021. If folks want to immediately dismiss what Za'Darius says, fine. That's always your prerogative. But imo, his opinion shouldn't be completely dismissed simply because he has played for five different teams in 10 years.
Well put. Thank you for taking the time to respond and explain.
I appreciate you taking the time, James! Love when we can get some dialogue going here in the comments after stories. Will do a better job of diving into these in 2025, too. Keep 'em coming.
You seem to have a lot of inside knowledge of exactly what happened. Are you affiliated with the team? An agent for a player? I’m really curious how you know exactly what happened.
So, apparently, there is a limit to the length of comments. Who knew?
I’m not saying that Smith’s account isn’t completely accurate, but it is very one-sided and legally, there are limitations on what teams and physicians can disclose publicly.
Here’s the nutshell: NFL teams are not covered by HIPAA but are still limited by the league and consent waivers in player contracts regarding what they can and cannot release regarding injuries, treatments, and playing probability.
The team physicians and third party physicians are covered by HIPAA.
However, malpractice insurance does not cover HIPAA, as that generally requires cyber insurance and typically covers cyber breaches and not voluntary disclosures of protected health information.
Given the penalties for teams and physicians exceeding the scope of what is covered in consent waivers, teams (and the league) generally release minimum, high-level information only in accordance with the player’s consent waiver.
So, the question for Z and the Packers is did Z or his agents consent to the Packers, their team physicians, or even the specialist he sought out in L.A. to disclose specific details about his injury or treatment? Because if not, Z can say whatever he wants (and again, it may all be true) and the Packers, their physicians, or third party physicians are prevented from addressing claims involving specific injuries, diagnoses, or treatments.
It's a shame it ended that way for Smith in GB. He does seem to be a bit of a lone voice in the wilderness when it comes to intense hatred for the Packers' organization. But he is missed. He's clearly one of those guys whose value extends beyond the field, fwiw.
BRinMilwaukee: Trust me: Z isn’t the only one who’s been stiffed in Green Bay.
And he won't be the last. I'd argue it happens less often here than elsewhere, although I don't know that for certain. I know there aren't a whole lot of disgruntled former Packers out there with a similar story.
The Sheed and Ravens 🐦⬛ veterans appreciation made my week and know now why I subscribed! 🏈
He’s clever, but he’s a clown. GB wasn’t buying his BS.
He’s built a nice journey man’s career in the NFL, but that’s it. He’s at the end of it now.
If Z was standing in front of you, I’m guessing you’d button up about calling him a clown. So easy to talk tough behind a keyboard. The Clown has a better chance of winning the Super Bowl in Detroit this year than he would have if he was still wearing the colors of your can-do-no-wrong team. If the Vikings don’t win it, I hope Z and his mates do.
It is good to know Z got nothing from GB.
“Z got nothing from GB.” Other than $50 million-plus of the $66 million contract that Green Bay eagerly offered him? Z had yucks all the way to the bank during his time in Green Bay. Don’t worry MB; it wasn’t your money.
I know. I was practicing sarcasm.