Reports: Ryan Kerrigan Undergoes Surgery To Clean Up Elbow Injury

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Ryan Kerrigan was one of the best pass rushers in the NFL this past season. However, he suffered a late season injury and is now undergoing offseason surgery.

Ryan Kerrigan has been of the best players on the Washington Redskins for a number of years now. The former first round pick out of Purdue has never missed a start in his six year career, and he has totaled at least 7.5 sacks in each of those seasons. In 2016, Kerrigan led the team in sacks with 11 and really was the leader of the edge rush for the team.

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However, towards the end of the season Kerrigan’s production dipped a bit. He injured his elbow during the team’s Week 15 loss to the Carolina Panthers, and he did not look the same in the coming weeks. According to ESPN’s John Keim, Kerrigan opted for surgery on the elbow to clear up some “loose bodies.” He is expected to be sidelined for 6 to 8 weeks.

This surgery is likely not going to be a huge deal for the Redskins. Kerrigan will have ample time to recover during the offseason, and he should go back to being his durable self in the near future. The only downside for him is that he will not be able to participate in the Pro Bowl.

It seems like this procedure was just one to clean up some of the issues in his arm. Granted, if his elbow gives him trouble in 2017, that could become an issue. For now, it still appears that Kerrigan will be absolutely fine for OTAs.

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The only thing that the Redskins might consider doing in regards to this injury is adding some extra depth in free agency. The team has been running essentially with three rush linebackers, but they could change that in the offseason. It seems likely that the team could bring Junior Galette in on a one year deal, but maybe they would add another low-cost veteran just to provide some injury insurance for both parties. At the end of the day, this would just be a precautionary move and will not have a major impact on the team.