Originally Posted by
steelreserve
Don't forget, Delhomme was also 5 or 6 years younger than Ben when it happened to him. Lot of difference between how your body responds when you just turned 30 and when you're pushing 40.
For perspective, even Joe Montana was younger than Ben when he had his big elbow injury; I think he was 35. I know medicine has advanced since the '90s, but that was considered a career-ender, and a miracle that he returned even 2 years later.
My point is that, while there's a best-case scenario in which everything is back to normal by the start of next season, it's far from a guarantee. In fact, this particular injury has never happened to an NFL quarterback at this age. It is uncharted territory.