Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles took to his website, www.jamaalcharles25.com, on Monday to provide an interesting, all-encompassing update on his injury situation.
In the post, Charles _ who landed on injured reserve in early November after undergoing minor procedures in both of his surgically-repaired knees _ provided clarity on where and how he got hurt and downplayed any notion that he came back too soon from offseason knee surgery.
He also pushed back against the Chiefs' ongoing characterization that there was swelling in the knee _ which they announced in mid-October, when he started having the issues _ and any assumptions that the knee issues he had at the time were unprompted, instead taking responsibility for doing more work than the team suggested.
"The story out in the world was that there was swelling in my knee that held me back, but that's not what happened," Charles wrote. "The knee didn't swell or anything like that. I didn't get hurt in a game, either. I got hurt on the practice field.
"There's been speculation that I tried to come back too quick, or that I wasn't ready, but I honestly don't think me coming back to play is what caused this to happen. I think, if anything, I was doing too much extra work on top of what I was doing with the team and the trainers."
Charles said he needed to shake the rust off when he originally returned in Week 4, but was feeling good by the Chiefs' fifth game against Oakland, when he carried the ball nine times for 33 yards and a touchdown.
That, he said, is when he started overworking himself.
"I thought that since I had a good game against Oakland, maybe I could do extra stuff before and after practice to get even better, and that kind of backfired on me," he wrote.
Charles said during one practice that week, he stayed after with a handful of teammates to get in some extra work. He was running through some drills when he made a cut and his leg locked up.
"It wasn't painful _ there was just something weird about it," Charles wrote. "It locked up, and I couldn't walk. I had to be carted off the field. They did an MRI, but you couldn't tell what was going on or what was wrong with me."
Charles popped up on the Chiefs' injury report on Friday, Oct. 21, and was limited in that practice. He was listed as questionable for the Chiefs' next game a couple of days later against New Orleans, and Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Charles was dealing with swelling in his knee.
"Jamaal's knee had a little bit of swelling yesterday," Reid said after that practice. "We're just taking it down for today, but we think everything will be alright as we go."
Charles made the decision to play against the Saints, and after logging one carry for 0 yards, he told running backs coach Eric Bieniemy he needed to come out of the game because he could tell something wasn't right.
"His leg wasn't feeling right _ that was it," Reid said after the Saints game. "He had a little tweak in there. Not that it was a big thing, but why? Why push it? Where we're at right now, why do that? Just trying to be smart with it."
That next week, Charles said he was home playing with his daughter when she grabbed his leg and it locked up _ just like it had after that fateful practice.
"At that point, I started thinking, 'How am I going to go out on the field and play if I can't even play with my kids?' " he wrote. "My daughter is 4 years old. If her grabbing my leg is going to cause it to lock up, imagine what would happen if a 300-pound dude fell on me."
Charles missed the Chiefs' next game against Indianapolis _ he told the coaches he couldn't play, which he said they understood _ and after a visit to noted orthopedic surgeon James Andrews, he landed on injured reserve.
At the time, Chiefs head trainer Rick Burkholder said there was a belief Charles had a meniscus tear. Andrews told Charles that was indeed the case, and Charles was grateful it wasn't another ACL tear.
"A meniscus is minor in comparison," Charles wrote. "People have played through it, and guys tolerate that. My body wasn't adapting to it, but that's OK. I was thankful my ACL was still intact because it meant there was still a chance for me."
Charles made the decision to have surgery _ some players opt to let it heal naturally or play through it _ but he said the team supported his decision.
"A lot of guys on my team I've talked to, they were very supportive of me, and telling me to go ahead and do it," wrote Charles, who also thanked multiple teammates and coaches, including Reid, Bieniemy, Eric Berry, Derrick Johnson, Jeremy Maclin and Dontari Poe.
Charles said he's happy he had the surgery, and the other one that followed afterward on his other knee to clean up more damage. Since then, he's been rehabbing in Pensacola, Fla., with Andrews.
"Dr. Andrews is the best doctor I've ever met," Charles wrote. "He's always honest with me, and very supportive of me through this whole process. I'm happy to be working with him and all the great people he has on his staff."
Charles said he doesn't know what the future holds _ the Chiefs can clear $7 million off their 2016 cap by releasing him _ but he intends to keep playing.
"What I do know is that I still want to play football," Charles wrote. "I was only 29 years old this season. My goal right now is to just focus on the now and my rehab and let the rest sort itself out later.
"In the meantime, I tell all our fans: Don't worry about me, I'm in good hands. Go Chiefs!"
