A Game Bryan Kehl

Take close note of the club that replaced LB Bryan Kehl's left hand when you watch this video. That's the wrap around the index finger surgery that could keep him sidelined for the Oakland game. We won't know if he's out for sure until Friday, but we do know this. He's going to drive the training staff, doctors, and coaches nuts until then.

He has already said he'll lobby the coaches to play, and he did some minor individual stuff today even though he's supposed to keep the one-day-old surgery clean and elevated. He injured it while fielding the the second half onsides kick, as his fingers got crunched.

Doctors implanted two screws in the digit to keep the bones in alignment. But he said they can cast it on gameday for maximum protection. Besides, he's more than willing to play with one arm.

"Hey, I've got another hand," Kehl said. "A lot of guys have played with broken hands before."

I always get a kick out of seeing these guys with broken fingers and thinking back to the days when trainers would put them in these huge, hard casts that the players would then use as weapons on their poor opponents. There's Deacon Jones -- as if he needed any extra help in tormenting an offensive tackle -- swinging this plaster-of-Paris bludgeon and leaving some grizzled old tackle loopy. They finally came up with rules limiting how thick you can pile it on. And now, most of these things are made of plastic or rubber, anyway.

The NFL. It's just no fun anymore.

EP