Getting To Know Ty Warren And His Triceps Muscle

During the off season, many people wondered about Denver’s defensive line. The draft came and went, and still no new defensive linemen. John Fox reassured us that the line would be addressed in free agency. A man of his word, Fox brought in a big name in Ty Warren.

After seven seasons with the New England Patriots, the 6-5, 300 lb. lineman posted his best year in ’06-’07 when he had 84 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 1 safety. Warren stayed relatively healthy throughout his career until he had to sit out all of last season after recovering from hip surgery. After drafting him in the first round in 2003, the Pats decided to part ways with Warren this off season.

Fox jumped at the chance to acquire a seasoned vet who could clog the middle and stop the run. Who can blame him? The one thing Fox didn’t foresee was the possibility of Warren missing yet another entire season.

Last year it was Elvis Dumervil’s tear that was heard around Broncos Country. This year it’s Ty Warren’s tear. Warren has a partially torn triceps muscle.

The team won’t completely rule Warren out for the season, but it is possible that the lineman will have to undergo surgery.

So let’s learn a little bit more about the injury that put’s Denver’s defensive line in quite a pickle.

According to Dr. David Geier, the director of Medical University of South Carolina’s Sports Medicine Department, a triceps tear is an uncommon injury and it can be very debilitating. Depending on the severity of the tear, surgery is often the only fix.

"“The surgeon will make an incision over the back of the elbow to expose the ruptured tendon and repair it to bone. The repair involves placing stitches in the tendon and anchoring them to the tip of the elbow either with suture anchors or through tunnels drilled in the bone. As with most tendon repairs, the surgeon then has to get the tendon to heal in that position. Healing involves immobilizing the elbow to prevent stress on the repair for several weeks…Unfortunately, the full recovery process is a long one. Return to sports can take many months, and therefore this is usually a season-ending injury.” – Dr. David Greir"

It seems that with Warren, this is a wait and see process. In the meantime, the Broncos are going about their business as usual.

“Injury is a part of the deal, especially in camp,” Fox said. “We have a next-man-up philosophy.”

Because starting linemen Warren and Marcus Thomas (strained pectoral muscle) are out for the time being, Brodrick Bunkley and Kevin Vickerson will have some big shoes to fill on the starting line.

More details to come on Warren’s status.

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