Lions' Hanson undergoes knee surgery, will be ready for season

Published: Aug 03, 2010 at 02:35 AM

Detroit Lions kicker Jason Hanson had minor knee surgery Tuesday, but he is expected to be back in time for the regular season.

Lions coach Jim Schwartz told MLive.com that Hanson, who's entering his 19th NFL season, hurt the knee during Monday's training-camp practice in Allen Park, Mich.

"He planted funny," Schwartz said. "It wasn't like wear and tear, he felt it right away."

Hanson underwent a similar procedure last August and was able to return for the first game of the regular season.

"The MRI showed a little bit of cartilage, and we're anticipating a similar situation as last year," Schwartz said. "The difference is that last year it occurred deeper into training camp and this is early. We don't put timetables on guys, but we don't anticipate it being a thing that would jeopardize the start of the season."

Schwartz said he's optimistic that Hanson, 40, will be on the field Sept. 12 in Chicago.

Hanson has only missed one game since joining the Lions in 1992. He appeared in all 16 games for the team in 2009, making 21 of 28 field-goal attempts.

The two-time Pro Bowl kicker is the Lions' all-time scoring leader with 1,835 points and holds the NFL record for the most field goals from 50-plus yards.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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