Ward has surgery on knee

Wide receiver will miss game Sunday against Tampa Bay

November 28, 2006 12:00 am

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By Ed Bouchette / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The bad news continued along with the losses for the Steelers when Hines Ward revealed that he had surgery on his injured knee yesterday.

Ward canceled his weekly appearance on KDKA-TV yesterday and told the station he had arthroscopic surgery earlier in the day to remove a bone fragment from his knee.

The Super Bowl MVP said he will miss Sunday's game against Tampa Bay in Heinz Field but hopes to return to play the following Thursday night against Cleveland at home. It will be only the second game that Ward will miss in his career; he also missed a game last season because of a hamstring injury.

Ward left the game Sunday in Baltimore with what coach Bill Cowher described as an aggravation of the knee that was injured the previous week in Cleveland. It was diagnosed as a hyperextended knee. Ward was listed as questionable all last week, but practiced on Friday and started against the Ravens. He caught four passes for 33 yards in Baltimore before he left in the third quarter.

"I ran a route and felt something again," Ward said. "I stayed in and tried to keep playing but my safety's an issue, too. I want to be out there but I don't want a career-ending injury."

Ward leads the Steelers with 57 receptions for 786 yards and six touchdown catches. His 20 receptions on third downs are tied for second in the AFC.

A Steelers spokesman said he had no information on Ward regarding any surgery other than what Ward said on KDKA-TV.

Peter Diana, Post-Gazette
Head athletic trainer John Norwig wraps Hines Ward's left knee in the fourth quarter of the Steelers' loss Sunday to the Ravens.
Click photo for larger image.