MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman Josh Samuda, who sustained a gruesome injury to his right ankle during the team's workout on Tuesday, had surgery in the Twin Cities to mend a broken fibula, dislocated ankle and deltoid ligament damage on Wednesday, according to a source close to the situation. He should get more information about his prognosis as the week draws to a close, the source said, but while the injury isn't thought to be career threatening, the initial expectation is Samuda will miss nine to 10 months.
Samuda, who signed a reserve/future contract with the team in January, was injured during a footwork drill where one player chased another in a close circle. His ankle appeared to give out, and he was helped off the field several minutes later. On Tuesday, there was some concern that Samuda sustained more serious damage inside his deltoid ligament, but those fears were allayed once doctors were able to see the full extent of the injury.
"We'll wait, like, six weeks and see how he starts to heal," the source said. "He’s in good spirits. It’s a freak accident; it's unfortunate and severe, but he's focused on rehabbing his body."
The Massachusetts product spent the 2012 season with the Miami Dolphins, playing in all 16 games before the team cut him at the end of training camp in 2013. He had signed with the Vikings to give the team some interior line depth, but while the 25-year-old figures to play again, he's got a long road back from a nasty injury.
