The final season of Kirk Cousins’ six-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings came to an unfortunate ending when the veteran quarterback tore his Achilles tendon during Week 8. In an effort to get fully healthy before negotiations begin during NFL free agency, he went to Antigua for a unique procedure earlier this month.
Somehow, perhaps because treatment took place in the Caribbean, it is just now getting back to the United States. Cousins received stem cell treatment from Dr. Chad Prodromos at the beginning of the year.
Dr. Prodromos serves as the medical director and CEO of the Prodromos Stem Cell Institute in Chicago. He explained that, even though the treatment is safe, he is limited in what he can do in the United States by the FDA. Thus, Kirk Cousins traveled to Antigua and underwent treatment in the offices of Dr. Joseph John.
The stem cells have the potential to enhance healing. They also have some benefits in enhancing overall health and recovery, which is why a lot of football players use them […]
There just isn’t an FDA-approved trial study in the U.S. to do it. So we go to Antigua to an excellent clinic there.
— Dr. Chad Prodromos, via KARE11 (NBC’s affiliate in Minneapolis)
Cousins said that his decision to undergo stem cell treatment didn’t necessarily have anything to do with the speed of recovery. More so, he wants to do anything that he can to ensure that his Achilles is as strong as possible when he returns. The 35-year-old said that he does not expect his career to end anytime soon, which led him to seek an extra healing boost from the procedure.
Although it is unclear as to what teams might have interest in Cousins at quarterback, there is a growing expectation that the Vikings will be able to bring him back on a team-friendly deal. However, he must show that he has fully recovered from the Achilles tear before the talks about his future can begin, which led him to seek the stem cell treatment.
Dr. Prodromos said that the cells used in Cousins’ procedure came from Colorado-based tissue bank, Vitro Biopharma. They are FDA approved.