TE Evan Engram -- December 18, 2019
Q: I didn’t get the sense that you expected your season would be over. Are you surprised with the decision to put you on IR?
A: Yeah, I mean it’s unfortunate. Definitely wanted to get back and get back out there with the team. Didn’t really go as planned recovery wise, and just got to shut it down.
Q: What’s the next step for you? Do you have to get surgery or anything?
A: Yeah, I’m doing a procedure with Dr. (Robert) Anderson in Green Bay Friday morning. Just putting stability back in my foot.
Q: What does that mean, ‘stability’?
A: So, it’s not a full Lisfranc injury, but the ligament is still not healed correctly. There’s a little bit of space so they are going to put, from my knowledge, joints back to together to let that ligament heal properly and kind of stabilize the joints so the ligament is not stretched.
Q: Did they give you an idea of a timeline of getting back from that?
A: Yeah, but it’s kind of up in the air right now. Just going to take it how it is, and I’ll be back when I’m back.
Q: Did something change? Because I know you got checked out first and they didn’t say…
A: It just didn’t get better. It was a tough injury, a tricky injury, and that joint is really important in my foot, just how I’m learning how my foot is structured. It just didn’t get better. This is kind of a safety thing future wise why I’m getting this procedure done.
Q: How disappointing is it to be having a really good year then have this happen?
A: Yeah, it’s tough. It’s tough. Definitely want to be out there with the team. I was having some success and we were doing good things as a football team. Pretty much out of my control. Definitely didn’t choose to be in this position but it’s all part of a plan. I have the utmost faith in the path forward and I can’t wait to attack this process and get back to the player that I know I am and the player that I know I’m going to be for this team.
Q: Have they spoken to you yet about the option year? I think they’ve got to do that this offseason.
A: I haven’t even thought about that. That’s kind of an offseason deal. That’ll all get worked out in time.
Q: Will you be okay for training camp?
A: One hundred percent, yeah. From the window they gave me, I’ll be more than ready for training camp. Like I said, just going to attack the process and attack each day. Just try to get back as soon as possible.
Q: Just to clarify, when you got your initial recommendation, it wasn’t a recommendation of surgery and you decided to play through it?
A: Yeah, so all of the pictures and everything didn’t point to that in the beginning. That was kind of the 2-4-week diagnosis, it all depended on how I felt getting back. That wasn’t on the table initially. But just to be safe future wise and for it to heal properly, we’re going to go ahead and do it.
Q: Would you be surprised if they didn’t pick up your option? You just said you think you have a long-term future here.
A: That’s out of my control. We all know the business of this league. I can only control what I can control. That will be handled upstairs. I’m just going to focus on this rehab process and getting back. Whenever that time comes for me to get back on the field, I can be myself and do what I do.
Q: It’s been a rough couple of years win wise around here, but when you look at this team, do you still want to have a long-term future here?
A: Of course. This is a special place, there is a lot of history here. We haven’t lived up to the standard that’s held here. I want to be a part of that turnaround, I want to be a part of the turnaround that’s coming. Like I said, it’s out my control and we’ll have to see. But, of course, I want to be here.
