new england patriots

I don’t think we ever got official word on what exactly Andre Carter’s quad injury was, but I think the general assumption is that it was a torn quad.

Carter was only on a one year deal, and not a great fit for Belichick’s preferred 3-4 defense, so his future was already a little murky with the Patriots. Still, he was one of the biggest bright spots of the 2011 regular season, both on the field and off it, with Bill Belichick laying praise on him that he rarely lays on anyone.

But just how big of a hurdle would recovery from a torn quad be? Here’s what I found, and again, this is all speculative, assuming he did in fact suffer a torn quad:

A quadriceps tear often occurs when there is a heavy load on the leg with the foot planted and the knee partially bent. Think of an awkward landing from a jump while playing basketball. The force of the landing is too much for the tendon and it tears.

Most people with complete tears will require urgent surgery to repair the torn tendon.

Surgical repair reattaches the torn tendon to the top of the kneecap. People who require surgery do better if the repair is performed early after the injury. Early repair may prevent the tendon from scarring and tightening in a shortened position.

Complete recovery takes at least 4 months. Most repairs are nearly healed in 6 months. Many patients have reported that they required 12 months before they reached all their goals.

This would theoretically put Carter’s recovery out into April or May at the earliest. Given his physical condition and work ethic I’d expect he could be ready by September, though starting on PUP could definitely be a possibility, especially given his age. Sitting out the first six weeks of the season would give his quad nearly 10 months to recover.

The big question will be if the Patriots are able to get enough of an evaluation of his recovery by March to feel comfortable offering him a contract. It should be one of the most interesting storylines of the off-season.