Sorry about your back, but your personal experience with back injuries does not make you an expert on all back injuries, nor does it represent all back injuries. If a "full recovery" does not imply being 100% then what exactly does it mean??? Besides that what starter in the NFL is in fact playing at "100%." The answer would be none of them, and Yanda is no exception. Ask yourself these questions: Has K.O's back gotten worse since 2013??? Answer: NO. Has Terrell Suggs torn achillies gotten worse over time??? Answer: NO. So basically both K.O. and Terrell Suggs are living proof that your statement is not applicable to all such injuries. Never mind the countless others. The point is that a back injury, or an achillies injury CAN be overcome, and that players can return 100%, but most importantly that either injury is NOT necessarily an automatic death sentence that gets worse over time.