Anthony Barr: Mike Zimmer mum on linebacker’s health
By Dan Zinski
Anthony Barr has not practiced at all during OTAs, and Mike Zimmer is in no hurry to explain why.
Like most coaches, Mike Zimmer would prefer to never discuss the health of his players. During the season the NFL requires teams to put out injury reports but in the offseason there is no such rule.
That being the case, you can just guess what answer Zimmer gave when queried by the media about the status of linebacker Anthony Barr, who has yet to participate in OTA practices.
Zimmer on Anthony Barr being held back in OTAs: "First injury report comes out September 3rd or something. That's when I'll" let you know
— Andrew Krammer (@Andrew_Krammer) June 7, 2016
Thanks for clearing that up coach Zim!
Since Zimmer refuses to give any info on why Barr hasn’t been practicing, I guess that means we’ll have to speculate.
Possibility #1: Barr has a small issue and the Vikings are holding him out for precautionary reasons.
Possibility #2: Barr has a major issue the nature of which the team has no desire to reveal at this time.
Possibility #3: There’s nothing wrong with Barr and the coaches just decided to let him sit out all OTA practices.
Since Teddy Bridgewater, Adrian Peterson, Harrison Smith and other important players are out there, I doubt Zim would give Barr OTAs off. So you can strike possibility #3.
That leaves us with two possibilities: Barr is a little hurt and they’re being careful, or Barr is a lot hurt and there is reason for fans to worry.
Barr as you will recall struggled with a groin issue late last season and actually missed several games. Barr was able to return for the last couple games of the season plus the playoff game, but he surely was not close to 100% physically.
Is it possible that Barr is dealing with a recurrence of the groin problem (or whatever it actually was) that hampered him last year? Could Barr be experiencing knee issues like he did last offseason in the wake of surgery?
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Barr last year also played through some back problems and a broken hand. There are so many parts of this guy’s body that could be malfunctioning right now, I hardly know where to begin.
Of course it’s possible that there’s nothing seriously wrong with Barr and the Vikes are just being careful. It’s all speculation. But speculation is all we have when the team won’t tell us what’s the matter.