Dave Birkett of the Free Press is reporting that rookie corner Jeff Okudah is headed for groin surgery and will be placed on injured reserve next week.
Okudah has been dealing with a nagging groin injury since his time at Ohio State and it has popped up a few times this season, limiting his availability. Birkett reported in his piece that Okudah’s groin has “slowly gotten worse this season” and that surgery now would help his availability for the 2021 offseason.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport followed up Birkett’s report by confirming his statements, “This is true. The No. 3 pick will have surgery Tuesday, source confirmed, in a core muscle procedure. He’ll be full strength for the offseason program with a new coach and GM.”
It’s been an up and down season for the rookie. He has flashed at times — especially in the run game — but overall most fans have come away disappointed. If hard to fault that point of view, but it is worth noting that rookie corners rarely succeed in their first years, and Okudah is a highly intelligent player who is meticulous in his work ethic, so hopefully, a reset physically will put him in the best position possible to contribute next year.
