Well, let me tell ya, sports folks, they ain’t made of steel, no sirree. They get hurt too, just like us regular folk. And one thing that happens to ‘em a lot, seems like, is they mess up their shoulders. Shoulder separation, they call it. Sounds fancy, but it just means somethin’ in their shoulder ain’t where it’s supposed to be.

Now, this here article, it’s gonna be about them famous athletes, you know, the ones on TV, who’ve had this shoulder thing happen to ‘em. It’s a real pain, this shoulder separation, stops ‘em from throwin’ balls or liftin’ weights or whatever it is they do.
So, what is this “acromioclavicular (AC) joint separation” the doctors keep blabberin’ about? Well, it’s like this, see? You got this bone in your shoulder, the collarbone, and it’s supposed to be hooked up tight to another bone. But sometimes, when they fall hard or get slammed into, that connection gets loose, or even breaks. That’s your shoulder separation right there. Happens to about one in ten of them athletes, they say. That’s a lot, if you ask me.
- Shoulder Injury
- AC Separation
- Shoulder Separation Recovery
Heard tell of a fella, Justin Fields, plays for the Bears. Poor boy couldn’t even play in a game against the Jets ‘cause he landed all wrong on his shoulder. Said it was an AC joint thing, just like we talked about. Landed on his left side, he did, and that was that. No playing for him for a spell.
Now, them doctors, they got their ways of fixin’ things. But it takes time, you see. Can’t just slap a band-aid on it and get back to throwin’ touchdowns. They gotta rest it, let it heal. Sometimes, they gotta do surgery, even. And after all that, they gotta get their strength back. It ain’t easy, no sir.
They say gettin’ back to playin’ depends on how bad the hurt is. If it’s just a little loose, maybe they’re back in a few weeks. But if it’s real messed up, could be months. They gotta wait till the pain’s gone, till they can move their arm around like normal, and till they’re strong enough again. Makes sense, don’t it? Can’t be throwin’ no football with a weak arm.

And it ain’t just football players neither. This shoulder thing, it can happen to anyone who uses their arms a lot. Swimmers, they get it too. Heard somethin’ about almost a quarter of them swimmers gettin’ their shoulders messed up in a year. That’s a whole lotta sore shoulders, I tell ya. All sorts of sports, it happens.
You see, the shoulder, it’s a busy joint. Lots of movin’ parts. And when you’re throwin’ hard or liftin’ heavy or swimmin’ fast, you’re puttin’ a lot of stress on it. So, it’s no wonder it gets hurt sometimes. And this here shoulder separation, well, it’s just one of them things that can happen.
Tom Brady, that famous quarterback, now he had some knee trouble, ACL and MCL they called it. Don’t know if he ever messed up his shoulder, but those knees, they gave him a fit. See, even the best of ‘em, they ain’t immune. Injuries, they’re just part of the game, I guess.
Think about it, these athletes, they push themselves hard. They gotta be the best, gotta win. So, they take risks. And sometimes, them risks don’t pay off. They get hurt. It’s just the way it is. But them tough ones, they come back. They work hard, they rehab, and they get back out there.
Heard tell of Drew Brees and Kobe Bryant, too. Both had shoulder troubles, they say. Rotator cuff stuff, that’s another kind of shoulder problem. But they came back, didn’t they? Champions, them fellas. Shows you what hard work and determination can do.

So, there you have it. Shoulder separation, it’s a real thing. Happens to lots of athletes, even the famous ones. It’s a pain, takes time to heal, but most of ‘em, they get back to playin’ eventually. They’re tough, these athletes. Tougher than they look, I reckon.