Four football stars have undergone orthopedic surgery during or leading up to the 2024-to-2025 NFL season, raising questions about their playability for the ongoing season.
Here are the NFL stars suffering orthopedic injuries:
1. In October, Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson underwent surgery at Dallas-based Baylor White Medical Center to repair a fractured tibia and fibula. He has no timeline for return to play, but there is a chance Mr. Hutchinson could return to the field if the Lions make it to Super Bowl LIX in February.
2. Erik McCoy, center for the New Orleans Saints, underwent surgery at Andrews Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham, Ala., in September. Mr. McCoy will likely need six to eight weeks to recover from the hernia procedure.
3. Minnesota Viking quarterback J.J. McCarthy underwent surgery for a full meniscus tear in August and is expected to be out for the entire 2024 NFL season.
4. Former Arizona Cardinals Matthew Hembrough underwent spine surgery performed by Kern Singh, MD, of Chicago-based Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush in June.