The Bengals confirmed Monday that right tackle Stacy Andrews underwent reconstructive knee surgery last week that had been scheduled by team doctor Angelo Colosimo.
But what they can't say is when he'll be ready to play because all ACL injuries and rehabs are different. And what they wont say is how much and how long they are willing to sign him as he becomes a free agent.
Rich Moran, Andrews' agent, said an e-mail Monday night that Andrews is doing well but he had no comment. Andrews has said he'll rehab in Cincinnati with the Bengals training staff.
Andrews got hurt with four minutes left in the next to last game of the season against the Browns, meaning his one missed start contributed to the Bengals' NFL-high 84 games missed by starters.
In the annual injury survey conducted by NFL maven Rick "Goose" Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News, the Bengals defense lost 44 games to starters, second only to the 46 of AFC finalist Baltimore. The Ravens finished second and the Bengals 12th in the NFL defensive rankings.
"I think any time you've got a number like that and you're a top 10 or top 12 defense, it shows the coaching must have been outstanding and the depth must have been good because other guys stepped up," Gosselin said.
Looking at the past numbers, Gosselin didn't see a disturbing injury trend when it comes to the Bengals. In 2007 and 2006, they were in the middle of the pack with 42 and 46 games lost, respectively. In '05, they lost just 24 games, sixth lowest in the league, and it was no coincidence they won the division. In 2004, they were on the high end with 55, but in head coach Marvin Lewis' first season of a new strength and conditioning program in 2003, they had just 14 games lost for fourth lowest league-wide.
"If you've got something like three straight years in the 70s or something like that, you're looking at a problem," he said. "And you have to look at the types of injuries. Most injuries come about because of luck and happenstance. If you've got a lot of hamstrings, that could be something to look at, but you can't do anything about broken bones and knees."
Of the 17 players that ended the season on injured reserve, three—running back DeDe Dorsey (hamstring), safety Dexter Jackson (hamstring), and defensive end Frostee Rucker (hamstring)—were listed with injuries associated with muscles.
But Rucker got hurt on the slick field in Pittsburgh that also claimed the knee of defensive end Robert Geathers and cornerback David Jones.
The others involved joints or bones in which there was some kind of trauma.
Andrews and safety Marvin White had ACLs and Geathers had that hyperextended knee.
Wide receiver Antonio Chatman and defensive end Eric Henderson (necks), center Kyle Cook (dislocated toe), cornerback Johnathan Joseph (broken foot), linebacker Abdul Hodge (arm), tight end Matt Sherry (shoulder), offensive lineman Scott Kooistra and cornerback Corey Lynch (knees), SAM linebacker Keith Rivers (broken jaw), and offensive linemen Kirk Barton, Andrew Whitworth and Dan Santucci (ankle sprains).
"The one thing that it does historically show," Gosselin said of the survery, "is that the older teams, like Tampa, New Orleans, Denver, tend to have the most injuries."
