. 'Trying to keep [my] balance just stepped too far over the knee and straight out the back door.' It was undoubtedly a difficult time for Burr-Kirven during his two-year absence from the game. But his desire to return to the sport he loves never wavered and his hard work and determination has now paid off. 'I didn't do anything but football,' he said. 'I never stopped.' His Seahawks teammates were delighted to see him return to the fold, especially the captain and three-time Pro Bowl star Quandre Diggs. 'It was dope,' he said. 'Just knowing the road he's been through the last two years and being able to stay in touch with him over all this time, it's been cool. I'm excited for him.' Burr-Kirven initially joined the Seahawks as a fifth-round pick in the 2019 draft and spent the majority){kind=link}
Ben Burr-Kirven was told he would never play in the NFL again after suffering a devastating knee injury but the linebacker has defied the odds and will make his comeback this year
NFL player Ben Burr-Kirven will make a return to the sport two years after being told he will never play again.
The linebacker was released by the Seattle Seahawks in March 2023, before they sensationally agreed to sign him again four months later. He has now appeared at the team’s training camp two years after doctors said he wouldn’t play again, describing the routine round of exercise and stretching as “surreal.”
“Just even getting in the building and doing a workout, that felt like a win,” the former University of Washington player added. The 25-year-old last played in 2021 while under contract for the Seahawks. He suffered a torn ACL and nerve damage in a preseason game ahead of the 2021/22 campaign against the Denver Broncos.
In July 2022 he was waived, placed on the reserve list and did not feature for the franchise again. While recalling the moment he sustained the very serious injury, Burr-Kirven said: “It was a touchback. Heard the whistle, just relaxed for a second, got pushed (by a Denver player).