Colts’ Peyton Manning likely done with season, but not football

Peyton Manning’s surgery Thursday has fans and pundits alike grimly considering the Indianapolis Colts quarterback’s future football career. Granted, if Manning did indeed have a cervical fusion as reported, he’ll probably not be playing this season.

“Rehabilitation from such surgery is typically an involved process. Therefore, there will be no estimation of a return date at this time,” a Colts statement said.

(Manning reportedly had weakness in his arm and pain in his lower back last week during practice, as reported earlier -- he’d had surgery for a herniated disc in late May.)

But there is no reason for undue worry yet, said Dr. Neel Anand, director of orthopedic spine surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

“This is not a career-ending surgery or a condition. He should be fine to get back next season,” Anand said of the single-level anterior fusion.

For these types of operations, surgeons generally go through the front of the neck to remove the offending spinal disc, stabilize the area with metal plates and screws, and wait for bone to grow back -- rather like allowing concrete to set around metal scaffolding, he explained. This type of surgery, Anand added, “is extremely common.”

But Manning will probably be told by physicians to stay off the gridiron for the season to allow for bone to grow, Anand added.

As a football player, “clearly he’s gonna be subjected to pretty major forces -- so I think it would be prudent to restrict him from playing,” Anand said.

With no complications and by putting no undue stress on the area, he added, Manning would be able to resume a “normal life.” Presumably that means donning his No. 18 jersey for the next season.

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