That didn’t take long.
Less than ten hours after news broke that Vikings wideout Sidney Rice was strongly considering hip surgery, Chip Scoggins of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that Rice has already undergone the procedure. Rice confirmed to Scoggins it “went well” via text message. Rice is expected to miss roughly half the season.
The Vikings have every right to be upset with how this was handled. Judd Zulgad of the Star-Tribune was speaking in SIRIUS NFL radio Tuesday as the news broke and speculated that Rice’s lack of a contract resulted in the delay to have surgery and that Rice likely opted for the procedure because he’s only making $550,000.
Rice practiced all offseason and news of his hip injury came from his agent in early July. The Vikings never showed interest in handing Rice a new deal, so Rice may not have wanted to take any risks by playing before first having surgery.
Florio also points out (on his way to the PFT Daily batcave) that the timing of the decision is interesting in relation to Brett Favre. Would Favre have come back if his No. 1 receiver was out half the season?
Bernard Berrian is a fine deep threat that can help replace Rice, but the Vikings’ wideout depth off the bench is now among the league’s worst. Percy Harvin’s ability to play despite his migraines takes on even greater importance now.