Overview
- NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Monday that combine testing found a cyst on Nussmeier’s spine that doctors say caused his persistent oblique pain in 2025.
- The cyst pressed on a nerve, which can disrupt a quarterback’s core-driven throwing motion and lead to sharp pain on release.
- Medical sources told Pelissero there is no short- or long-term risk, and if symptoms return a minimally invasive procedure would likely sideline him about two to three weeks.
- Nussmeier’s production fell to 1,927 yards and 12 touchdowns over nine games in 2025 after a 2024 season with 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns, and he was benched during the injury-plagued stretch.
- He has been symptom-free since before the Senior Bowl, and evaluators now weigh his healthy 2024 tape against a mid-round draft projection, with teams like the Rams having spent extra time on him.