C.J. Mosley was place on injured reserve due to a cervical herniated nucleus pulposus in his neck.  This probably marks the end of his tenure with the NY Jets considering his age of 32 and considering he has a cap hit of $12.784 million next year, the last year of his contract. So what exactly is his injury and how does this effect an NFL player.  

A cervical herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP) occurs when the inner gel-like core (nucleus pulposus) of a cervical intervertebral disc protrudes through a tear in the outer fibrous layer (annulus fibrosus). This herniation can compress nearby nerve roots, leading to symptoms such as neck pain, arm pain, numbness, or weakness.

In the National Football League (NFL), cervical disc herniations are relatively uncommon but can be significant due to the physical demands of the sport. In a study published in Spine in 2011, 53 NFL players underwent surgery for a herniated disc in the cervical spine between 1979 and 2013. The majority of these players (72%) were able to resume their careers and perform at a high level post-surgery.  46 patients were treated non-operatively and only 46% of these were able to return to play in the NFL. In another study published in the Orthopedic Journal of Sports Medicine in 2018 looking across several professional sports including the NFL for athletes after a single level cervical fusion return to play was 80% taking about 9.5 months to return to sport. While a cervical herniated disc can be a serious and debilitating injury with proper diagnosis and treatment return to full activity can occur in the majority of athletes.   

At Total Orthopedics and Sports Medicine we have orthopedic and neurosurgeons who specialize in cervical spine disorders helping you return to your pre-injury level of performance.