Eric Decker

When will Eric Decker return? (AP Photo | Frank Franklin II)

Jets wide receiver Eric Decker is dealing with a partially torn rotator cuff in his shoulder. He will miss Sunday's game against Seattle, and coach Todd Bowles said Decker's status is "week-to-week."

He could wind up sidelined for the season, and will be out for the year if he requires surgery -- something that has yet to be determined.

To get a better understanding of Decker's injury, NJ Advance Media spoke to Dr. Leesa Galatz, the system chair in orthopedics for Mount Sinai Health System and the Icahn School of Medicine.

Her speciality is orthopedic surgery, so she knows all about rotator cuff tears. Galatz has not treated Decker, so she just spoke generally about these injuries.

The big question everyone is wondering: How long could Decker be out?

"Anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, depending on the severity," Galatz said. "Partial thickness tears [of a rotator cuff tendon] can have some that are not very severe and some that are almost full thickness tears. It really depends on the severity of the tear. With a partial tear, he's much more likely to be able to return to play than if he had a full thickness tear."

A partially torn rotator cuff tendon is such a variable injury because the attachment site of tendon to bone is so thick -- about a centimeter. So that leaves a bunch of room for different severities of partial tears.

If the tear is not severe, it sometimes can heal itself, so Galatz said Decker might not require surgery -- even after the season.

"He may be able to rehab through this," she said. "What a partial thickness rotator cuff tear means is that some of the fibers have torn away, but not all of them. Not all of the tendon has pulled off, and that's why it's possible to return to play after an injury like this. If the people who are caring for him control the pain and rehab his shoulder, it's possible for him to return to play."

Galatz said that, initially, she would suggest a rest period of seven to 10 days, followed by rehab, "to see how he's feeling." The rehab would enable her to get a better read on the healing progress -- or lack thereof -- in Decker's shoulder.

If Decker requires surgery -- which would've been the case for a full tear -- his season would be over.

"When you repair a tendon, it doesn't really matter if it's a partial tear or a full thickness tear," Galatz said. "It's a pretty involved recovery."

With a partially torn rotator cuff, Galatz said the injured person's movement actually is not restricted. He can move his arm as he normally would. It's just that these movements cause significant pain.

These injuries are most commonly associated -- but not exclusive to -- baseball pitchers, who sustain them through long-term wear and tear. But a single blow, like a hit from a football defender, can cause a rotator cuff tear, too.

"We see them mostly in the throwing athletes," Galatz said. "But any kind of rotator cuff tear can happen from a fall or a collision incident."

Decker initially injured his shoulder against the Bills, two games ago. He aggravated the injury last week in Kansas City. Galatz said it is possible for a rotator cuff tear to worsen when aggravated after the initial injury.

Bottom line: Decker might be back this season, but it is almost impossible to say when (if at all) because that thick rotator cuff tendon leaves a lot of room for different types of partial tears.

"It just depends on how big it is, really," Galatz said of the tear. "Some of them, you can recover and return just fine."

Darryl Slater may be reached at dslater@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DarrylSlater. Find NJ.com Jets on Facebook.