What Are the Experts Saying About RG3's Recovery Timeline?

Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III had surgery (via NFL.com) Wednesday morning on his injured right knee, which he further damaged during last Sunday's 24-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Wild Card Round. 

The complete diagnosis has been reported different by various outlets, and as you'd expect, the timeline for recovery has differed as well. It seems only fitting to get all the numerous opinions from experts and journalists into one place.

In the following slides, we'll attempt to give you a complete look at the recovery timeline for Griffin III. Many will have opinions, and many will change as solidified information comes in. Continue checking back for updates.

Chris Mortensen, ESPN

Chris Mortensen of ESPN was the first to report that Griffin III had suffered a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL. Prior to late Tuesday night, the general consensus remained centered around the idea that the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) was torn, but that surgery would be required to assess the damage to Griffin III's already surgically repaired right ACL.

Mortensen, with a complete tear of the ACL included, received this timeline from a source: 

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Griffin's recovery is projected at six to eight months, barring any setbacks, sources said. The rehabilitation plan will focus primarily on strengthening Griffin's quadriceps to help protect and help stabilize the knee, according to sources. The reconstruction of the LCL is considered a complication, but sources said Andrews informed the Redskins it should rehab well during the same six-to-eight month time frame as the ACL injury.

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The 2013 NFL season is still over eight months away, which should give Griffin III a chance to be close to 100 percent in Mortensen's timeline. Mortensen later wrote that he could "participate" at some level in training camp before the start of the regular season in September. 

Washington Post

The Washington Post has remained steadfast with its report of a complete tear to the LCL but no definitive damage to the ACL pre-surgery. 

According to a doctor the Post interviewed, the timeline for Griffin III—even without a complete tear to the ACL—isn't a promising one. 

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James C. Dreese, a doctor for University of Maryland athletic teams, said an LCL tear requires a longer rehabilitation process than an ACL tear. Dreese, who has no specific knowledge of Griffin’s injury, said an LCL tear could keep Griffin out for eight to 12 months.

The length of the rehabilitation depends on whether the ligament can be repaired surgically or requires a more extensive reconstruction using a graft from another part of the body or a cadaver. A torn ACL typically requires a six- to eight-month rehabilitation.

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The Post admits that Dreese does not have specific knowledge of Griffin III's injury, so his take on a timeline comes strictly from former experience with the reported injuries. 

With an eight-to-12 month timeline, Griffin III could either be back before training camp ends or miss most of the 2013 season, or something in between. Certainly, the year-long recovery timeline is at the backend for most experts currently.

Will Carroll, Sports Illustrated

Carroll, Sports Illustrated's sports injury czar, responded to Mortensen's report Wednesday morning with a series of his own tweets on the topic. 

"Griffin's knee was repaired this morning - the ACL and LCL were reconstructed," Carroll tweeted. "Normal recovery is 8-12 months."

Minutes later, Carroll expanded on that thought with a more vague prognosis and timeline.

"You'll see differing timelines on Griffin today, anywhere from six to twelve months," Carroll said. "Completely depends on his rehab."

Carroll is as level-headed and informed about injuries as any in the current sports media, so his words here carry weight. Expect to hear a lot of numbers on Griffin III's rehab in the coming days, but Carroll's final thought should stick: We simply won't know a definitive timeline right away. 

Dan Graziano, ESPN

ESPN NFC East blogger Dan Graziano has a different take on Mortensen's report of a six-to-eight-month recovery timeline. 

While Graziano does not question the validity of what Mortensen's sources said, he does point out the fact that he used "team sources," which could put a more optimistic spin on the entire process. 

Here's Graziano's take on Griffin III's recovery:

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This part seems a little bit too optimistic to me. Here's the post I did last night on the challenges that go along with repairing the same ACL for a second time (Griffin tore it in 2009 while at Baylor), and everyone I've talked to said there would be no way to forecast a recovery time until the surgeon could get a visual inspection of the knee and determine how much other damage has been done to cartilage, etc. 

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Optimistic is probably a word you're going to hear a lot of from the Redskins offices in the coming days, and probably Griffin III, too. However, the total damage to Griffin III's knee will likely speak louder about his timeline. 

Dr. Michael Kaplan, ESPN

With such an important injury to discuss, ESPN has already called on Dr. Kaplan to make a number of appearances over the last 24 hours. His take, at least for Redskins fans, isn't as optimistic as most. 

According to Graziano, Dr. Kaplan had this opinion Tuesday night:

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On "SportsCenter" on Tuesday evening, Dr. Michael Kaplan speculated that the LCL procedure alone would require a recovery time of four to six months and that the combination of an LCL and ACL reconstruction could keep Griffin out "nine to 12 months, or maybe even longer than that."

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On SportsCenter Wednesday morning, with Mortensen's report on the ACL delivered, Dr. Kaplan was careful with his timeline but added that Griffin III likely has the capability to be back as soon as humanely possible. 

"Modest number (six to eight months) in my mind," Dr. Kaplan said. "A long shot to be ready by September."

"Nine-to-12 months [is the recovery timeline] for the regular athletes in cutting-type sports," Dr. Kaplan added. "If anyone is able to it, it's someone like him...[He'll have] the best doctor, and best rehab available."

John Keim, Washington Examiner

John Keim of the Washington Examiner added another factor to the recovery discussion. Will the Redskins and doctors close to Griffin III take the long road of recovery to ensure that the knee has completely healed and there's no increased risk of career-ending damage?

After speaking with experts in the area, Keim appeared to think so: 

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Dr. Lehman from US center for sports medicine: "Reason to get rehabbed completely is to make sure the joint is safe going forward."

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He then added his own commentary to that expert opinion:

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In other words: if RG3 comes back too soon, puts him at risk for other issues. Lehman said having 2nd ACL issue brings complications.

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Keim later speculated that the best route for Griffin III and his recovery could be to miss the entire 2013 season, rest and rehab the knee and then return in 2014. Given how the Redskins have approached this entire situation so far, that appears unlikely.