Former Lions LB Levy files grievance against team
Warning: Story contains coarse language
Former Detroit Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy has filed an injury grievance against the team, stating that the Lions cleared him a day before his March release even though three other doctors told him his knee hadn't healed.
Levy played in just one game during the 2015 season due to a hip injury, then suffered a knee injury during the opening game of the 2016 campaign that he never overcame. The 30-year-old underwent knee surgery in April after an operation to repair his torn meniscus during the regular season.
"I figured there was something wrong because they passed me on a physical when I couldn't even sit down to a chair or get into a linebacker stance at the time," Levy said to ESPN's Michael Rothstein. "In my mind, I didn't think about the legal contract part of it. I thought, this is fucked up. I can't get into position; how can I pass a physical? I didn't know it was a physical the first time.
"I went in for just a follow-up for my knee, we go through the exam or whatever and I see he puts 'pass' on it for the physical. I'm like, 'OK, this ain't right.' So I called my agent and I'm just now learning about the process."
Levy, currently a free agent, is still waiting for his knee to fully heal before returning to action. The veteran linebacker was amid the best stretch of his career before the injury.
"Just kind of, it's frustrating, man, because the way I was trending, I just hit a wall and it's like, I feel like it could have been avoided last year," Levy said. "I feel like it could have been avoided if I was shut down earlier.
"The cartilage is wearing because my knee was jacked up. Like the cartilage is pretty much gone now because I'm out there, and you're telling me I'm not going to make it worse, it's just a psychological injury. And now I'm here, maybe missing another season because of it. And it's frustrating, man. I was there for a decade and I never complained about any of my injuries."
Levy, who said he no longer trusts NFL doctors, expects to recover by December.