Panthers' Delhomme to Miss Rest of Season

Oct 08, 07:00 PM

Current Headlines: CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme is likely facing Tommy John surgery for his injured elbow, his agent said Monday.

"They are pretty sure it will be (Tommy John)," said Rick Smith. "By shutting him down today, that ensures that he can take his time in rehabilitation and will have no problem in coming back for training camp next year."

Smith said Delhomme had been bothered "a twinge of pain" in the elbow for perhaps three years, although Delhomme never mentioned it to the media.

Delhomme had been playing with a partially torn tendon, which would also be repaired in the surgery. The latest injury was to his ulnar collateral ligament, and the surgery replaces that with a tendon from another part of the body.

Former Giants quarterback Rob Johnson is one of the few examples of non-baseball related Tommy John surgery. He played his first exhibition 18 months after the surgery, but it's unclear how long his rehabilitation took _ he might have been healthy enough to play months before his first exhibition.

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