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The Kansas City Chiefs gave some bad news during their press conference on Wednesday: starting left tackle Eric Fisher will undergo core muscle surgery on Thursday.
Update from #Chiefs head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder: Eric Fisher will undergo core muscle surgery on Thursday.
— Arrowhead Pride (@ArrowheadPride) September 18, 2019
Fisher, 28, is starting his seventh season with the Chiefs after being drafted with the first overall pick of the 2013 draft.
Going into Sunday’s 28-10 victory over the Oakland Raiders, Fisher was listed as questionable after suffering what was called a groin injury during Friday’s practice. On Sunday morning, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported it would be a “long shot” for Fisher to play that afternoon.
So it was a surprise when Fisher was active for the game. But he played just three snaps in the opening offensive drive before being pulled from the game and replaced by backup tackle Cameron Erving.
Chiefs vice president of sports medicine Rick Burholder made the announcement on Wednesday.
Here’s @proatc on Eric Fisher’s upcoming surgery. pic.twitter.com/towbrQcRJY
— Arrowhead Pride (@ArrowheadPride) September 18, 2019
Burkholder said that the team had consulted with Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia — an expert in the field — and that Fisher was already en route to Pennsylvania to have Meyers perform what Burkholder called a “core muscle repair” on Thursday.
As our in-house sports medicine expert Aaron Borgmann noted on Twitter, Fisher had the same procedure performed in 2014. Borgmann believes that the new procedure is likely on the opposite side — because once repaired, these injuries don’t typically become an issue again.
Borgmann also said that the injury would not necessarily end Fisher’s season.
Would assume that if team felt it was season ending, player would be placed on IR. That isn't the case so far.
— Aaron Borgmann (@RehabAllStar) September 18, 2019
Have seen many instances of players having this procedure and returning in same season. @ArrowheadPride https://t.co/yTSkAIKbhs
We’ll have more details as they become available.