Steve Smith
Not a good week for New York Giants receiver Steve Smith. Following his short-lived return in Week 14, Smith was placed on injured reserve with a left knee injury and will miss the rest of the season. Now it’s been revealed that the injury could affect his 2011 outlook, as well.
According to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News, Smith will need microfracture surgery on the knee after suffering articular cartilage damage in Monday night’s win over the Vikings. His rehab — which will be “lengthy” — will keep him on crutches for six weeks.
Smith will undergo a mosaicplasty and the normal recovery time for such a procedure usually spans 6-9 months. Though it’s being called a “complex” procedure, the prognosis is good.
If he takes the full nine months to recover, however, it puts his status in doubt for next year’s training camp and subsequent start of the season. Newsday’s Tom Rock suggests he might not be the same player in the future due to the complexity of the surgery and the Giants will have to decide what to do with him as he’s set to become a free-agent after this season.
Because of the current unrest surrounding the league’s collective bargaining agreement, New York re-signing Smith is not slam-dunk by any means. As Rock pointed out, if there were no labor issues, Smith would’ve had a new deal by now as he’s the team’s best possession receiver and a favorite of quarterback Eli Manning.
Heading into next season’s free-agent market, there won’t be many teams willing to dole out the major bucks for a receiver with a bum knee. His best bet for an extension now lies in New York.
Smith finishes his 2010 season with 48 catches for 529 yards and three touchdowns.
