BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Talk of dynasties, positional battles and the Eagles' Super Bowl chances drifted into the background when Rick Burkholder took the podium before Andy Reid held his annual training camp kickoff news conference.
When Burkholder, the Eagles head athletic trainer, takes the stage unannounced it's usually to deliver bad news. On Sunday he announced that Mike Patterson would miss training camp and possibly more time before he's cleared to return following January surgery.
Nearly a year ago, and nearly 100 yards from where Burkholder stood, Patterson suffered a seizure on the Lehigh University practice fields. A day later, after a series of tests, Patterson was told that he had an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) on his brain. The name of the condition alone was enough to suggest that the defensive tackle's career was possibly over.
Surgery was deemed necessary, but Patterson decided to wait until after the season. With proper medication, doctors were able to limit the risk of seizure and amazingly, he returned before the start of the season.
Patterson played 15 games, had one of his best seasons and was anticipating the 2012 season, his eighth with the Eagles, when he had the AVM removed in mid-January. The procedure was called a success and the Eagles had anticipated a return by the start of camp.
But you could sense by the team's actions this offseason that they were preparing for the possibility of their longest-tenured player not being back in time for the start of the season. And that's how Burkholder spelled it out - at least reading in between the lines. Patterson won't return any time soon.
"We're talking about this preseason as a month, then we'll probably reevaluate there," Burkholder said. "But it could be a couple months or more. We don't know."
Because the Eagles addressed the defensive tackle position - by retaining Antonio Dixon, a restricted free agent, signing unrestricted free agent Derek Landri, and drafting Fletcher Cox with their first pick - the loss of Patterson won't be of much significance on the field.
Patterson, a lunch pail-type player, has been a serviceable defender, but was essentially replaceable. A month from reaching 29, and with all the miles he's logged, it's possible that Patterson's latest setback could be a threat to his career.
"Physically, I feel fine," Patterson told reporters. "I feel like I can go out there and put the pads on and hit somebody. But doctor's orders, so that's what I'm going with."
When Burkholder, the Eagles head athletic trainer, takes the stage unannounced it's usually to deliver bad news. On Sunday he announced that Mike Patterson would miss training camp and possibly more time before he's cleared to return following January surgery.
Nearly a year ago, and nearly 100 yards from where Burkholder stood, Patterson suffered a seizure on the Lehigh University practice fields. A day later, after a series of tests, Patterson was told that he had an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) on his brain. The name of the condition alone was enough to suggest that the defensive tackle's career was possibly over.
Surgery was deemed necessary, but Patterson decided to wait until after the season. With proper medication, doctors were able to limit the risk of seizure and amazingly, he returned before the start of the season.
Patterson played 15 games, had one of his best seasons and was anticipating the 2012 season, his eighth with the Eagles, when he had the AVM removed in mid-January. The procedure was called a success and the Eagles had anticipated a return by the start of camp.
But you could sense by the team's actions this offseason that they were preparing for the possibility of their longest-tenured player not being back in time for the start of the season. And that's how Burkholder spelled it out - at least reading in between the lines. Patterson won't return any time soon.
"We're talking about this preseason as a month, then we'll probably reevaluate there," Burkholder said. "But it could be a couple months or more. We don't know."
Because the Eagles addressed the defensive tackle position - by retaining Antonio Dixon, a restricted free agent, signing unrestricted free agent Derek Landri, and drafting Fletcher Cox with their first pick - the loss of Patterson won't be of much significance on the field.
Patterson, a lunch pail-type player, has been a serviceable defender, but was essentially replaceable. A month from reaching 29, and with all the miles he's logged, it's possible that Patterson's latest setback could be a threat to his career.
"Physically, I feel fine," Patterson told reporters. "I feel like I can go out there and put the pads on and hit somebody. But doctor's orders, so that's what I'm going with."