Terrence Brooks ahead of schedule and not ruling out a return this year

Terrence Brooks went down with a nasty knee injury against Jacksonville in December of the 2014 NFL season. Tearing both his ACL and MCL, his year was done for sure. Because of the nature of the injuries at the timing, Brooks was also looking towards a possible scratch for the 2015 NFL season.

However, modern medicine is a wonderful thing. Knee injuries like the one that Brooks suffered used to be thought of as career enders. Guys were likely done being relevant names with a torn ACL and their careers were usually finished if they tore both the ACL and MCL. Brooks went to the well known Dr. James Andrews, who is considered one of the best football surgeons in the country, which might have helped speed up his recovery time.

Now Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun is reporting that Terrence Brooks feels like he is ahead of schedule and feeling a lot better.

It's going really good. To be honest, we're probably a little bit ahead of schedule. I haven't had a break since I've been hurt. It's been straight rehab since Dr. Andrews did the surgery.

I actually had the ACL and the MCL. The MCL was a little bit too damaged to let it heal on its own, so they went ahead and took care of that one, too. It's feeling pretty strong, though.

A glowing endorsement if I've ever seen one. I can tell you from personal experience that MCL tears are often tricky. The knee can heal that ligament on it's own but without it being 100%, knee stability isnt exactly the same. While not as terrible as an ACL injury, MCL tears can often be even worse because of the uncertainty of it healing on it's own and not seeing the timetable back further.

The Ravens will certainly need all the help in the secondary that they can get this season, after a 2014 NFL season that saw players going down left and right. This season, the Ravens have resigned safety Will Hill and added safety Kendrick Lewis to the mix. They put a waiver request, but ultimately failed to land safety D.J. Swearinger this offseason. If Brooks can return quickly, he'll likely be in the mix to see some on-field action in the second half of the season against some of the tougher teams in the NFL.

"We're just hoping for the best, trying to get back as soon as possible," Brooks said. "We're taking precautious. We definitely don't want to rush back too fast. If you do get cleared, playing this year is definitely a goal. You don't want to rush it.

"For the most part, you have to be cautious and take it easy. After we get off of the PUP list, we'll see where we're at. I definitely want to get back into it, but we're taking our time. I have high hopes of being ready."