Sidney Rice Injury: Torn Labrum Has Pricey WR's 2011 Season in Doubt

Sidney Rice has yet to play a down for the Seattle Seahawks this season due to a shoulder injury, and based on the latest information to come out, it sounds as if the former Pro Bowl receiver is going to be out for quite some time.

On Fox's NFL Sunday pregame show, Jay Glazer reported that Rice is dealing with a torn Labrum and is trying to postpone surgery in order to play this season.

When the Seahawks signed Rice to a five-year, $43 million contract this offseason to be the team's No. 1 receiver, they imagined him being the piece of the puzzle that would help Tarvaris Jackson evolve into a capable starting quarterback.

But this latest development throws a monkey wrench into that plan. The Seahawks offense needs Rice to be the player he was in 2009 with Minnesota if they want to have any chance of competing this season.

The offense had no rhythm to it without Rice last week against San Francisco, and Jackson, in particular, looked lost at times in the pocket.

Rice was a valuable asset to the Minnesota Vikings, even though he only played in six games last season due to injuries, so when the team let him walk away via free agency that should have raised some red flags to other teams trying to sign him.

He has had problems staying healthy throughout his career—he has only played a full 16-game season once—and even when he has played, he has been wildly inconsistent.

Rice is not going to do anyone any favors by simply delaying the inevitable. You can respect his want and desire to get on the field to help his team, but the fact is the Seahawks are not going to the playoffs this season. Even in the weak NFC West, this team is clearly the worst team in the division.

Rice should undergo the surgery as soon as possible, do all of his rehab and be at full-strength next season. If he tries to play with this injury, he is risking injuring himself even more.

The team has to step in and tell Rice that it would be in his best interest to repair his shoulder now so that they don't have to worry about anything flaring up next season.

LIFE HURTS. THIS INJURY UPDATE BROUGHT TO YOU BY DICKIES.