New York Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes has already been lost for the year to a serious foot injury and now it appears that next season may be in jeopardy as well.
According to ESPNNewYork.com, Holmes will need another surgical procedure on his left foot, which will take place in February of next year. The star wide receiver will not be able to run until April, according to reports, and may miss the beginning of training camp.
"I've got another surgery in February," said Holmes to ESPNNewYork.com. "That's all I know."
Holmes was visiting the Jets' team headquarters on Friday for the first time since he was placed on season-ending injured reserve and spoke publicly for the first time on Monday night while holding his annual charity bowling event "Strikes for Sickle Cell."
"Proceeds from the event will benefit his III & Long Foundation, which provides financial support to children and families suffering with sickle cell anemia," according to Newsday.
Holmes was originally injured in the fourth quarter of the Jets' 34-0 drubbing by the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 30. After catching a pass and turning to run, Holmes went down quickly right in front of cornerback Carlos Rogers. Holmes tossed the ball away without being touched, allowing Rogers to scoop it up for a 51-yard touchdown.
"I knew the minute I didn't get off the ground that my season was over," said Holmes to ESPNNewYork.com.
Following the game San Francisco cornerback Carlos Rogers said on SiriusXM NFL Radio that he thought New York quit at the end of the game.
"Yeah, you could see it happening," Rogers told SiriusXM NFL Radio. "It kind of shocked me because a lot of guys on (our) sideline were saying, 'They don't want to tackle, they don't want to do this, they don't want to do that.' That's a Rex Ryan defense. That's a Rex Ryan team ... and his defense, you know, plays throughout. That was the shocking point about it."
Holmes was diagnosed with a Lisfranc injury and had surgery two weeks later. The Jets hoped that Holmes could return before the season ended, but since the team has played so poorly and the fact that he needed more time to heal forced the Jets to place him on injured reserve.
"I mean, I accepted it once it happened," Holmes said Monday night at the charity event, according to the Associated Press. "Football season was over, so I just expanded my mind by reading more and spending more time with my kids, being more supportive."
Holmes said he still talks with head coach Rex Ryan every week, but that it has been hard to cope with the injury and the fact that he is away from football for so long.
"It puts you in a mind-frame of relaxation, but at the same time, it's a recovery process that you go through," he said. "Mentally, it kind of brings you down at times because you can't be active. It's been over 20 years that I've been playing this sport and it's the first time I've suffered a significant injury where I can't play and continue the season."
Holmes was wearing a large walking boot while in the facility and participated in the yearly team photo with the rest of the roster.
According to the Associated Press, he will have surgery in February to remove the metal plate that was inserted to help his left foot heal after the original injury.
Although Holmes won't be catching any more passes this season, he steered clear of the Mark Sanchez-Tim Tebow-Greg McElroy controversy when asked by reporters.
"If I get involved with that, I'm going to be the talk of the world," Holmes said, laughing. "I'll stay on the IR list and keep it moving."
The Holmes injury was devastating to the Jets because it came just one week after All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis went down. Revis was injured on a non-contact play in Week 3 against the Dolphins and suffered a season-ending ACL injury when he tried to change directions to make a tackle on Miami running back Daniel Thomas.
The Jets are still alive at 5-7 for the playoffs, but the team has played dreadful on offense this season. Mark Sanchez was benched in Sunday's 7-6 win over the Arizona Cardinals and the wide receivers have been mediocre since losing Holmes, who had 20 catches for 272 yards and a touchdown in three games
The seven-year pro was New York's primary playmaker and deep threat, and his injury will only hurt an offense that has scored just 25 points in the last two weeks. Making matters worse, the Jets only rank 28th in the league in passing yards.
The Jets' roster isn't very deep at the position, with Jeremy Kerley and Chaz Schilens as the two starting receivers. The team also has rookie Stephen Hill and Clyde Gates.
Holmes has been a polarizing player since he was acquired by the Jets in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers three years ago. He is a dynamic player with great skills, but has had issues both on an off the field.
He won a Super Bowl MVP award after catching the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLIII and then put up his best statistical season in 2009, catching 79 balls for 1,248 yards and five touchdowns. Although he performed well on the field, Holmes was traded out of Pittsburgh due to legal troubles with marijuana, bad behavior and attitude issues.
Those same issues arose with the Jets, including during the final game of last season when Holmes got into an argument on the field with offensive tackle Wayne Hunter in the fourth quarter against Miami. He was benched for the rest of the game, which the Jets eventually lost, causing them to miss the postseason.
Rex Ryan has still yet to name a starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, with the choice coming down to Mark Sanchez or Greg McElroy.
