Browns RB Hardesty to have knee surgery

By foxsports
Published

BEREA, Ohio (AP) -- Montario Hardesty can't stop his unlucky run of injuries.
The Browns' running back will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery on Thursday, the latest medical setback for Hardesty, who dislocated his right thumb on Monday after missing most of training camp with a hamstring injury.
Cleveland coach Rob Chudzinski said Hardesty has been bothered by soreness in his knee for a while, and that the surgery is not related to the hamstring injury that forced him to miss the majority of workouts this summer. Hardesty had only returned to practice on Monday when he injured his thumb while jumping to catch a direct snap from center.
Chudzinski does not know how long Hardesty, who has prior surgeries to repair torn ligaments in both knees, will be sidelined.
"He'll make it back," Chudzinski said following practice Wednesday.
Chudzinski did not know which knee Hardesty was going to have scoped. Hardesty was limited in practice Tuesday, when he had a protective wrap over his thumb. He left without speaking to reporters.





The engaging 26-year-old has had injury issues throughout his NFL career. Hardesty tore his left anterior cruciate ligament in the final exhibition game in 2010 and missed his entire rookie season. Hardesty also had knee problems in college at Tennessee, and had his right ACL repaired when he was a freshman with the Volunteers.
He's battled back every time, and now Hardesty will have to do it again.
"That injury bug is something you can't control," said linebacker D'Qwell Jackson, who had had to overcome two major chest injuries. "He's just got to stay positive. Once he has his surgery, it's just one day at a time, just look at how you can make the situation better. It starts with the attitude, attitude is everything. It's going to help the healing process and it's going to help him mentally get through it."
Hardesty was drafted in the second round by Cleveland in 2010. He rushed for 271 yards as Trent Richardson's backup last season, but his roster spot was believed to be in jeopardy because of the arrival of Dion Lewis, who recently passed him on the depth chart.