Less than 24 hours after it was suggested Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison may need to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, the veteran LB went under the knife on Wednesday, according to NBCSports.com and ProFootballTalk.com.
In another report by Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Harrison reportedly had the scope done Wednesday morning and that the procedure “went well,” Bouchette reported.
It’s uncertain how long Harrison will need to recover. There’s a possibility that he could even start the upcoming regular season on the physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) list.
If that happens, Harrison’s wait to return to action will be delayed even further, as league rules would prevent him from practicing or playing until after the Steelers’ first six regular season games.
According to PFT, the Steelers will likely fill Harrison’s void with either Jason Worilds or Chris Carter.
“With the exception of this little knee thing, James is probably healthier now than he’s been in three years,” Harrison’s agent, Bill Parise, told the Beaver County Times on Tuesday. “He’s extremely fit. He just has to get this irritation behind his kneecap cleared up. That’s what’s causing the swelling, and (the Steelers) just want to get rid of that. … We’ll just have to wait (and) see how it plays out.”
In other Steelers news, Bouchette tweeted running back Isaac Redmon remains hampered by a groin injury. Redmon reportedly tried to practice, but fell over in pain and was unable to continue.