New England Patriots center Dan Koppen will have surgery on his broken left ankle and is expected to miss 6 to 10 weeks, NFL Network's Albert Breer reported Tuesday, citing a league source.
The surgery's purpose will be to strengthen the ligaments around the ankle. A screw also might have to be inserted in the ankle to stabilize it.
Koppen was injured during the second quarter of Monday night's 38-24 victory over the Dolphins when Miami linebacker Karlos Dansby fell on his leg. Koppen was carted off the field and replaced at center by Dan Connolly.
"That's tough," Patriots quarterback Tom Bradytold the Boston Herald about the injury to the man from whom he has taken snaps since 2003. "(Koppen) is the best, and there's no one like him. He and I have a great chemistry. ... He's one of my best friends. Hopefully he'll be back at some point."
Connolly, a six-year veteran, will continue to fill the starting center role in Koppen's absence.
"Dan's a guy that obviously has played a lot of football for us at a very important position. So, that's not something that's an easy thing to adjust to," Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien said. "I'm very confident in Dan (Connolly) and what he's going to be able to do for us."
Patriots coach Bill Belichick didn't elaborate Tuesday on Koppen's injury, but the team is checking available offensive linemen not on the active roster.
"We evaluate our roster and all our options every week, especially early in the season when there are more options available," Belichick said. "With each succeeding week, options start to diminish. The players that are available, that number decreases, and so forth. Every week, we're looking at the players on our practice squad, we're looking at other players."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
