It's not uncommon for a handful of players on every team to undergo surgery at the end of a season after playing through injuries. These procedures are typically downplayed and listed as "minor," but sometimes the evidence hints otherwise.
Running back Beanie Wells dealt with pain in his right knee through most of 2011, despite rushing for 1,047 yards in 15 games for the Arizona Cardinals. Wells underwent knee surgery this offseason, but remains elusive in providing details.
Asked Tuesday if the surgery involved the meniscus, Wells shot that down: "Naw, not really meniscus. It was a little more complicated," he told The Arizona Republic.
Asked if he underwent microfracture surgery, Wells only grinned as he vanished into the team's locker room, the newspaper reported.
Microfracture surgery would be no reason for smiles. Any sort of bone-on-bone injury threatens to prevent a player from returning to full strength. Wells previously described the procedure as arthroscopic in nature, but saying that it was "more complicated" than a repaired meniscus raises questions. Wells continues to target training camp for his full return.
"It's coming along pretty good," Wells said. "No setbacks at all, I'm feeling confident about being ready when the time is right."
