Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III underwent surgery Wednesday morning on his right knee to repair a torn ligament and during the procedure it was determined that he will need reconstructive surgery on the anterior cruciate liagment, USA Today reported.
Noted orthopedist Dr. James Andrews performed the surgery in Pensacola, Fla., that involved fixing the lateral collateral ligament and determining the condition of his anterior cruciate ligament.
ESPN.com had reported earlier Wednesday that the rookie was having total reconstruction of the knee after a complete tear of the patellar graft that was used to repair the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner’s torn ACL at Baylor in 2009. The report indicated that Griffin would be recovered in time for next season.
USA Today received a text from Griffin’s father explaining the extent of the injury. But there was no indication of a timetable for recovery.
“Robert’s ACL is intact, but not enough for his profession,” he said. “You and I could be fine. But he is an athlete. So they will replace.”
Griffin reinjured the knee in the first quarter of Sunday’s wild-card playoff loss to Seattle but stayed in the game despite being clearly impacted, raising questions about whether he should have continued to play.
The 2012 No. 2 overall draft pick had sprained the LCL in December during a game against Baltimore and sat out the following week against Cleveland but returned to finish the regular season playing with a knee brace that limited his mobility.
The Redskins have not made a formal announcement regardining Griffin’s condition.
A torn LCL is less severe and normally necessitates a recovery period of several months as opposed to the more serious ACL surgery that usually involves a year of rehabilitation.
Before going into surgery, an upbeat Griffin tweeted, “Thank you for your prayers and support. I love God, my family, my team, the fans, & I love this game. See you guys next season.”