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Jeremy Maclin wrote a new blog over on GQ.com about his experience having to sit out these past few weeks. As he has all season, Maclin gave us an interesting and eloquent insight into what it's like to play in the NFL, or specifically this time... not play.
Being injured, in a word, sucks. Life is reduced to two things: treatment and meetings. It is all work, with none of the exhilaration, the fire, the competitive release of playing in games. Our team doctors are great guys who know what they're doing, but there are limits to how quickly physical parts of the body can reach the level of healing required for me to play as hard as I need to in order to contribute. Obviously, all I want is to be out there doing it for my team. Michael [Vick] and I are in the same boat.
The last time I was really injured was freshman year in college, when I tore my ACL and so ended up redshirting the whole year. I thought that was pretty bad. But there is no redshirting in the NFL, and the most critical juncture of the season is passing as we speak. It is probably the equivalent of putting all of your heart and soul for years into a work presentation-and then catching the flu day of and having to watch your colleagues give the presentation without you.