Injured Packers tackle Chad Clifton has returned to Green Bay but remained in a hospital Wednesday following Sunday’s controversial incident with Tampa Bay’s Warren Sapp.
“He’s in a lot of pain and unable to walk,” coach Mike Sherman said.
Sherman said the club had not concluded whether Clifton had sustained spinal damage when he tore ligaments in his hip. He said treatment was focusing primarily on the pain.
“Chad will be fine,” Sherman said, apparently dismissing any long-term effect. “It doesn’t look like he’ll be back this season.”
Teammates were reluctant to talk about Sherman’s postgame confrontation with Sapp, whose devastating block of Clifton after an interception caused the injury. Sherman thought the hit was cheap and took particular exception to what he called “joviality” while Clifton was lying on the field.
Packers offensive line coach Larry Beightol drew an indirect reprimand from NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue for threatening retaliation against Sapp.
“When we see him again, we’ll see how that dog fares,” Beightol said Monday. “We’ll cut him (a legal low block) every single time. I want him to know that.”
Said guard Mike Wahle: “You can’t talk too much about stuff like that.”
Wahle added that Sherman’s reaction demonstrated that “he’s got our back [covered]. He let us know that.”