On Tuesday, the Redskins sent defensive tackle Jason Hatcher to get some tests on his left knee after he reported some pain and swelling.
Those tests showed that Hatcher needs to have a procedure to clean up cartilage before he will be able to return to the field and Hatcher said, via John Keim of ESPN.com, that he will have arthroscopic surgery on Thursday as a result.
Hatcher expects to be sidelined 4-6 weeks after having the surgery, which would put him in line to return to the field as the Redskins begin training camp this summer. He’ll likely be spending some time working his way back to full speed so that the Redskins don’t have to deal with an extended absence once the season gets underway.
The Redskins brought Hatcher in to help them turn around a subpar defense and by itself this operation isn’t a reason to think Hatcher can’t do that. He’s turning 32 next month, though, and has enough miles on the odometer that there will likely be some concern about how well Hatcher can hold up in a pivotal role on the Washington defensive line.