Bengals’ Esiason Says Shoulder Pain Lingers

DAYTON, Ohio — Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Boomer Esiason says that his throwing shoulder still hurts from a lingering injury last season and that he has made a series of visits to the team’s doctor since the Jan. 22 Super Bowl.

Esiason, 27, says the injury has been lingering from the weekly pounding of the NFL season. He hopes rest and therapy will permit his return to full workouts in March.

“My target date for being back and working full speed is mid-March,” Esiason said Monday night in Dayton, where he attended a ceremony to accept an Ohio Athlete of the Year award.

He said the Bengals’ doctor, Cincinnati surgeon Robert Heidt, has had him on a physical therapy program to strengthen muscles in his left shoulder so he can work out and regain full strength in the arm.

Esiason said he would visit Heidt today for the fourth time since the Super Bowl in order to undergo more tests and have his progress checked. Esiason said that at this point, he does not plan to obtain a second opinion.

Not a Bowl Liability

He said his shoulder was not injured to the extent that it was a liability in the Super Bowl, which the Bengals lost 20-16 to the San Francisco 49ers.

“If I felt like I was going to be a liability to the team in the Super Bowl, I wouldn’t have played.”