On Thursday, Panthers offensive tackle Michael Oher posted -- then deleted a short time later -- a photo to his Instagram account showing 10 bottles of pills. The caption: "All for the brain smh."
The Michael Oher deleted Instagram post that everyone is talking about ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/EZm4Hndvd7
— CAR Panthers News (@CarPanthersNews) June 10, 2017
Oher is still in the concussion protocol that ended his 2016 season in late September, after just three games.
Meanwhile, former NFL offensive lineman Eugene Monroe, who retired last summer because of concerns about head injuries, saw Oher's Instagram post and responded with this:
@MichaelOher been there bro. I'm still dealing with issues from my concussion on a daily basis. Praying you are lead to do the right thing
— Eugene Monroe (@MrEugeneMonroe) June 9, 2017
Oher didn't attend the team's recent voluntary workouts but reportedly plans to be at mandatory minicamp when it begins on June 13. For now, Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman admits he doesn't know what to make of Oher's deleted Instagram post.
"I don't know if Michael posted that photo or not," Gettleman said, via the team's website. "Regardless, my primary interest is Michael's health."
The general manager last spoke to Oher on May 5, when he flew to Nashville to meet with the offensive tackle.
"We really had a great visit,'' Gettleman said. "We talked for an hour, had lunch. It was a very comfortable conversation. We talked about a lot of things -- nothing about football. It was about him, how he was doing and the issues he was dealing with. It started and ended well. And after we met, Michael did follow up for a few days. However, the communication has stopped."
Oher still has to pass the final phase of the concussion protocol before he will be cleared to return to the field. But Gettleman's concerns extend well beyond football.
"Our No. 1 priority is a healthy Michael Oher,'' he said. "This is not about football, this is about Michael."