Dolphins' Jalen Ramsey, ProFootballDoc Disagree On Cornerback's Return To Being Elite
Even if he beats the odds and what the textbooks say about recovering from a sutured meniscus repair surgery, Jalen Ramsey will not regain his elite abilities this season, the former longtime physician of the Chargers believes.
And Dr. David Chao, who continues to practice in Southern California and has established a notable business analyzing NFL injuries using video and his vast experience, made that opinion clear on social media recently.
Which, unsurprisingly, drew a reaction from Ramsey.
Chao, Ramsey Both Think They're Right
Both sides -- one relying on years of medical experience and the other on faith in God -- believe they're right.
Ramsey is eyeing a return to the field in November or early December at the latest. And Chao believes regardless of when the cornerback returns this season, he will not play near his usual All-Pro level.
"I'm just saying because Jalen Ramsey is an elite athlete, elite athletes are fine-tuned race cars," Chao said Thursday. "You can't just build the engine, add gas and expect it to be a race car. You have to keep tuning it and getting it perfect.
"If he were fully recovered in three months, which is the first, shortest timeline, I mean, this is why you have training camp. This is why you have acclimation muscle injuries. This is why you always say football activities are different than offseason workouts.
"And so now you're going to have a guy who, let's say he's lucky at three months. Do the math. It's October, now he's a full go. It'll take him six weeks at best to become Jalen Ramsey. And it's one thing to just step out onto the field. The position he's playing, I think, is like the hardest because you have to react on a dime. Otherwise you get burned."
Jalen Ramsey of the Miami Dolphins takes part in a drill during training camp at Baptist Health Training Complex on July 26, 2023 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Will Jalen Ramsey Be Diminished?
That's exactly what Chao believes the Dolphins will see if Ramsey steps on the field this season: A cornerback diminished by a too-quick return from a significant surgery.
"Can he come back and be a guy?" Chao asked rhetorically. "I think he can because he's elite. If he were a guy, I don't think he'd come back at all. I'm paying him the biggest compliment. I'm not doubting him, I'm giving him credit where it's due."
Not surprisingly, that's not how Ramsey apparently took Chao's opinion.
He is quite public about his Christian faith and is convinced God can work a miracle on his behalf. So God can get Ramsey back to his All-Pro self sooner than anyone expects.
Chao is similarly confident his experience and medical training suggests Ramsey should be cautious about any aggressive timeline for his return.
NFL Doctor David Chao speaks onstage during day 2 of SiriusXM at Super Bowl LIV on January 30, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM )
Dr. David Chao Concerned About Ramsey
"I'm not hating on him," Chao said. "If he proves me wrong, great. What I think is going to happen is he's hellbent on coming back. He's going to come back but when you look at film, he's not going to be himself. That's probably what will happen."
With that, Chao has another warning.
"Be careful, now," he said. "His acclimation injuries and muscle injuries will happen during the season when he ramps up his rehab and football activities. And compensation injuries and otherwise happen. He's essentially not going to be in a regular training regimen for three months.
"What if you took a guy who wasn't even injured and said, 'You've been sitting for three months, now go.' "
Ramsey tore his meniscus in practice July 27. He had surgery the following day. Three months from July 28 would be on or around Oct. 28. That's the earliest Ramsey would be fully cleared. Then the training to be prepared to play would begin.
"He's going to have minimum six weeks of time before he gets more aggressive in rehab," Chao said. "Three months is the absolute earliest he can come back and do something pretty sporty. But he's being asked to play the game of football as a defensive back.
"It's easier to be a wide receiver and come back because you're dictating the action. It's harder for a DB because you're reacting to the action. That's what makes it harder."
Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey looks on before speaking to the media during team practice at the Baptist Health Training Complex on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Misquotes Of Dr. Chao
Chao's opinion has gained enough traction that a reporter asked Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel about it Wednesday. The reporter misquoted Chao as saying, "It's a tall task for Ramsey to be Ramsey ever."
And McDaniel responded: "I would hesitate to boldly tell Jalen Ramsey what he’s going to be..."
Chao corrected the misquote by the reporter.
"I didn't say ever, I said this year," Chao said. "I was saying tall task this season to come back and be Jalen Ramsey. Because these guys are elite athletes so it probably takes him six weeks to ramp up from a full-go medical clearance and especially as a DB, it's much, much harder to do so."
Here's a problem: Chao never said, 'this year' on the I Am Athlete Podcast that started the whole issue. He orginally said, "I think it’s a tall order for Jalen Ramsey to come back and be Jalen Ramsey."
Period.
Then there was the exchange with Ramsey himself, which eventually led to a private direct message conversation on social media. Chao declined to share how that exchange went other than to say it was civil.
But his opinion remains unchanged.
"You can't speed up biology," Chao said. "So can Jalen Ramsey come back this year? Yes, I think he can. But I think it's a tall task for him to come back and be Jalen Ramsey this year."