Yet another big NFL star is undergoing back surgery, raising doubts about his readiness for the season.
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NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday morning that New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul will undergo back surgery Tuesday. He is not expected to be ready for the start of training camp, but he hopes to be ready for Week 1.
The Giants later confirmed that Pierre-Paul underwent surgery, saying his recovery period is projected for 12 weeks. It's not hard to do the math: Pierre-Paul will have to hustle to be ready for the regular season.
In an interview that will air during Tuesday's edition of "NFL Total Access," Giants safety Antrel Rolle told NFL Network that a hampered Pierre-Paul still is better than most defenders.
"Eighty percent of JPP is better than 100 percent of a lot of guys in this league," Rolle said.
But just like with New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, there's no such thing as "minor" back surgery. Pierre-Paul clearly wasn't planning on this surgery or he would have done it earlier in the offseason to recover faster for the season.
Pierre-Paul was listed on the injury report late last season with a back injury, but it never was reported as overly serious. NFL.com's Albert Breer reported that Pierre-Paul had injections last year to deal with his pain. The Giants said Pierre-Paul was experiencing pain this offseason.
Pierre-Paul played all 16 games and was active in offseason work over the last few months, reportedly looking "slimmer" at organized team activities. With Osi Umenyiora gone, the Giants already had moved Mathias Kiwanuka back to defensive end. Kiwanuka looks like a starter now opposite Justin Tuck until Pierre-Paul gets healthy. Rookie Damontre Moore also might play more snaps initially than expected.
UPDATE: Pierre-Paul underwent a microscopic lumbar disectomy Tuesday at Marina Del Rey Hospital in Marina Del Rey, Calif., according to a statement released by Dr. Robert Watkins, who performed the surgery. The statement said Pierre-Paul is expected to make a full recovery, though his return to football will depend on how the defensive end responds to his rehabilitation regimen.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
