Carolina Panthers defensive end Charles Johnson underwent arthroscopic surgery on Friday, GM Marty Hurney confirmed on Friday.
Hurney called the surgery a "minor clean-up" to reduce swelling. Of course, we're still waiting for the first team to ever say that an offseason surgery was "major."
Johnson may not be the most well known Panther, but he is the highest paid. He racked up nine sacks last year after signing a six-year, $72 million contract after the work stoppage. While the sack totals don't stand out, Johnson put a great deal of pressure on the quarterback.
Johnson seemingly broke the news on his Twitter account Friday: “My surgery went good! Thanks to everyone for your blessing.”
It sounds like Carolina is expecting Johnson back for training camp, although he may miss much of the offseason program. The team remains quite thin at defensive end after Johnson. They need third-year pro Greg Hardy and fourth-round pick Frank Alexander to step up. It wouldn't be a surprise if the team added another veteran.