Pinched Nerve in Shoulder Could Sideline Collins

Ram Coach John Robinson said Saturday that he will meet with team doctors either tonight or Monday morning to discuss the future of All-Pro linebacker Jim Collins.

Collins, who aggravated a pinched nerve in his left shoulder in Tuesday night’s preseason opener against Houston, is not getting any better.

The nerve injury is not allowing Collins to use the deltoid muscle in his left shoulder, inhibiting his ability to tackle.

Collins first damaged the shoulder last January while tackling Marcus Allen of the Raiders in the Pro Bowl.

The shoulder did not improve much during the off-season and, because of the nerve damage, the muscle in his shoulder has atrophied.

“I’m worried about it,” Collins said Saturday. “It’s been six months and it hasn’t gotten any better.”

It is not known how long Collins might be out.

“We could be talking a season, or we could be talking a month,” Robinson said. “But it’s all speculation at this point.”

Robinson is meeting with Collins and team doctors to determine whether Collins could play with the injury, which causes him no real pain.

“If he can develop the ability to play with the muscle not at full strength, then he’ll play,” Robinson said. “If not, we’ll wait till it’s at full strength.”

Collins, who led the Rams with 140 tackles in 1985, was examined Friday at Centinela Hospital by Dr. Robert Watkins, who reconfirmed the damage to the deltoid muscle.

Robinson has suggested that Collins might have to change his style of tackling to compensate for the injury, but Collins is not sure he wants to go through the season that way.

“If I can play effectively, I will play,” Collins said.