ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) -Lions rookie quarterback Drew Stanton will have arthroscopic surgery to clean cartilage from his right knee, and could be out as long as a month.
Stanton, a second-round draft pick out of Michigan State, tweaked the knee during training camp workouts Sunday and has not taken part in drills since. The team hopes to schedule a date for the procedure soon.
Team president Matt Millen said Monday the problem is not related to an injury Stanton sustained to the same knee during the 2003 Alamo Bowl. That required offseason surgery and dogged Stanton during the 2004 season.
"The knee is structurally sound. It's just a little tweak," Millen said. "The good news is it's nothing to do with the old injury."
Stanton, expected to be the third quarterback this season behind starter Jon Kitna and either Dan Orlovsky or J.T. O'Sullivan, will remain on the active roster while he recovers from the procedure.
At Michigan State, he set a school record for completion percentage (64.2) and ranks second in completions (543) and passing yards (6,524).