Jake Ballard's fourth-quarter injury in the Super Bowl might wind up costing him the entire 2012 season.
Jeff Roberts of The Star-Ledger reports that Ballard underwent microfracture surgery in addition to surgery on his torn anterior cruciate ligament. The microfracture procedure could add six weeks or more to a recovery that already figured to put Ballard on the physically unable to perform list to start the season. It's possible Ballard won't make it back this year and he'll surely miss half the season.
"My knee just collapsed," Ballard said. "I definitely tore [my ACL] on the field. I'd say [the cartilage damage] probably happened on the sideline from trying to run with no ACL. But I don't regret trying to get back in the game. It's the biggest game in any football player's career."
It's a sad setback for Ballard, an undrafted player who had a breakout season for the Giants last year. The team will keep Ballard on the roster, but they have replaced him with Martellus Bennett from the Cowboys. Travis Beckum, who also tore his ACL in the Super Bowl, could be back by Week 1.
The lack of a great tight end threat looks like a weakness for the Giants' passing game, but that's also what we thought last offseason. Remember when the loss of Steve Smith and Kevin Boss was supposed to crush the Giants' receiving corps?
