Mark Sanchez of the Jets Considering Knee Surgery | IXGAMES

Mark Sanchez was reported to have visited orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews very recently. The Jets player is considering having surgery done on his left knee and the visit was supposed to help him decide whether to push through with the procedure. He is expected to announce his decision within next week. Sanchez’s knee injury His left knee was injured in August 2008 when he was still in college at Southern California. The operation, if he will choose to have it, will fix the ligament that stabilizes the patella. The patella is more commonly known as the knee cap, the thick piece of bone that covers and protects the knee joint. A knee surgery usually means that the player will be sidelined for at least two months. Sanchez also suffered injury in his right knee during a fairly recent game against Buffalo in Toronto in which the Jets won. He suffered a mild sprain on the posterior cruciate ligament, making him miss the next game. Kellen Clemens, the Jets’ backup quarterback played instead, leading the team to a road victory over Tampa Bay. He was able to return in the game after that, playing with a brace on, though the team suffered a loss against Atlanta. Sanchez was able to play the rest of his scheduled games without any hitch. Dr. Andrews has also examined Sanchez’s right knee and concurred with the Jets doctors’ decision that it does not require surgery at the moment. It was Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum who decided to trade up and choose Mark Sanchez during the draft held last April of 2009. The decision served as the launching point for the rise of the team to the American Football Conference title game. Mark Sanchez’s top playing records During his rookie season, Sanchez threw for 2,444 yards and twelve touchdowns. He proved to be an asset for the Jets with a quarterback rating of 92.7 in the playoffs. He also made a team record for the postseason with his 80-yard touchdown pass to Edwards during the 30-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the championship game. Tannenbaum echoed concerns regarding the young quarterback missing some playing time but he points that the medical procedure is necessary. In future games after he recovers from surgery, Sanchez will be able to play with more stability and less worry. The team’s general manager further emphasizes that the procedure is nothing serious to be worried about, just making small tweaks on the player’s injured knee. “It’s going to be much more preventive, strengthening, things like that,” Tannenbaum explains. While a visit to Dr. Andrews may sound alarming when made in reference to a player, the team manager highlights that they’re just addressing some issues while it’s still early and that he expects Sanchez to be well before training camp.