Merriman wants to play

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Saturday, Aug 23, 2008
By Casey Pearce, Chargers.com

Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman made one thing clear Saturday afternoon: he wants to be on the field when the Bolts open their regular season against the Carolina Panthers in two weeks.

“That’s first and foremost,” Merriman said. “That’s what I want to do. That’s why this decision is even out there still and not already made. The question is what should I do. There are a thousand different options at this point and I’m just trying to make the best one.”

Merriman met with the media following the teams’ late morning practice Saturday to discuss what has been a whirlwind of a week for the three-time Pro Bowler. He’s flown across the country visiting specialists who have examined his left knee.

“I’m trying to get an opinion on what I need to do as far as how bad the injury is and if I can do anything to play,” Merriman said. “That’s what it really comes down to and I’m going to do what’s best to get back on the field and keep preparing for Carolina.”

Sometime early this coming week, Merriman will fly to Miami to get one more opinion on how he should proceed. As was revealed earlier this week, he has a torn posterior cruciate ligament.

“Many guys play with that,” Merriman said. “No big deal.”

Perhaps the bigger issue is that Merriman has a tear in his lateral collateral ligament (LCL) as well, a fact that he revealed Saturday.

“The combination makes it kind of difficult,” Merriman said. “It makes your knee feel very unstable. It’s something that I’ve been trying to deal with, hoping it would get better by now.”

Merriman has been advised to have surgery, but there are differing opinions as to the extent of the surgery. He hopes to make a decision soon after returning from Miami.

“I’ll try to do it as fast as possible so we can make this less of a distraction,” Merriman said. “My thing is just to keep preparing and get ready for opening week.”

Merriman’s knee has been bothering him for quite some time but has played through the pain and done everything possible to strengthen the joint in hopes of getting the pain to subside. He played in the preseason opener against Dallas but hasn’t seen the field since.

“Every day it just didn’t feel right or it would feel worse,” Merriman said. “One day it would feel like it got a little better and I’d go back out there and it’s still sore. That’s one of the things I’ve dealt with.”

Merriman held his head high Saturday as he battles a tough decision, one made tougher by the fact that his heart is is telling him to play.

“I’m just trying to make the best decision possible for the team and for my career,” Merriman said. “I’m always going to try to play football.”

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