Dr. Peter Wehling, a pioneer of the blood-manipulation treatment known as Regenokine, says he's treated 30 to 40 NFL players in Germany over the past year.
According to the Detroit Free Press, Detroit Lions impending free-agent right tackle Gosder Cherilusbecame one of those players in late January.
Cherilus joins prominent figures such as NBA star Kobe Bryant, Major League Baseball standout Alex Rodriguez, Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher and the late Pope John Paul II as those who have undergone the alternative procedure, which involves drawing and incubating blood in the knee before reinjecting it into the joint over a course of four days.
Perhaps leery of damaging his market value, Cherilus denies undergoing the procedure. "I didn't get any treatment done, and what I do during the offseason is not (your) business," Cherilus texted to the Detroit Free Press.
Although Cherilus is coming off a career-best season as one of the NFL's most effective right tackles, his knee issues might draw red flags from interested teams. He underwent a previous microfracture surgery in December 2010. The good news is that Regenokine is said to have a 75 percent success rate.
Faced with a buyer's market at offensive tackle this offseason, the Lions might opt to move on from Cherilus. Last year's first-rounder, Riley Reiff, is ready to step in as a starter.
Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.
