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Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior Writer
Georgia coach Kirby Smart wouldn’t offer a timeline Tuesday on Brock Bowers‘ potential return to the field after the All-American tight end underwent surgery on his left ankle a day earlier.
Smart, speaking to reporters after practice in Athens, Georgia, said his only concern is getting Bowers healthy after he had TightRope surgery to repair a high ankle sprain. The procedure involves using surgical thread instead of metal screws and is designed to accelerate recovery.
“You really think I’m going to answer that question?” Smart said when asked when Bowers might return. “I mean, is that all this is about? All y’all want to talk about is if he is going to be back or not. Like that is the furthest thing from my concern right now. My concern is this team and getting Brock Bowers healthy. To answer that question is speculative, and I’m not going to speculate.”
Dr. Norman Waldrop III performed the surgery at Andrews Sports Medicine in Birmingham, Alabama.
Bowers was starting his recovery Tuesday, and Smart said UGA director of sports medicine Ron Courson will work with Waldrop to plan Bowers’ rehab. The typical recovery time for a TightRope surgical procedure is four to six weeks, although some players have come back sooner and others later.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had the surgery while at Alabama in 2018 and was out for a month; Tide offensive tackle Cam Robinson missed about two weeks after having the procedure in 2014. Wide receiver Cedric Tillman had the surgery while at Tennessee last year and missed four games.
“Philosophically, to get healthy, you need to get back moving that ankle as soon as you can, meaning get on it, get weight bearing and move around,” Smart said. “We’ve had guys going through this process, so Brock will take on that same rehab process. His surgeon and Ron will work together on that, and it won’t be done any different. The key is that we are trying to get him back healthy.
“There is no timeline for when he comes back to play. The timeline is when he’s healthy, and I don’t think you can put a timeline on it because historically there have been guys that came back really fast and there’ve been guys that came back really slow. Each one has been different.”
Smart said Bowers wanted to get the procedure done instead of waiting for the injured ankle to heal on its own. He was hurt in the first half of the No. 1 Bulldogs’ 37-20 victory at Vanderbilt on Saturday.
“Brock Bowers is great,” Smart said. “Brock Bowers is rock solid. He wanted to get the thing done as soon as he found out it had to be done. We were able to expedite that process. He’s looking everybody in the eye today and wishing he could be out there. He’s in great spirits. He’s got a great family. He’s got a great heart and he’s a warrior, so he’ll handle it the right way.”
Bowers, the No. 4 prospect on ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest Big Board, has been the focal point of Georgia’s offense this season. He leads the team with 41 catches for 567 yards and has four touchdowns. He had more than 100 receiving yards in three straight games before he was hurt against the Commodores.
The Bulldogs, the two-time defending national champions, have an open date this coming weekend before playing rival Florida in Jacksonville, Florida, on Oct. 28. Then they face three straight games against ranked opponents: No. 20 Missouri and No. 13 Ole Miss at home and No. 17 Tennessee on the road.
Getting Bowers back as quickly as possible would help Georgia’s chances of competing for another SEC championship and potentially a spot in the College Football Playoff. Sophomore Oscar Delp (13 receptions for 160 yards with two touchdowns) and freshmen Pearce Spurlin III (two catches for 29 yards) and Lawson Luckie are expected to play tight end in his absence.
“I know Brock is a hard worker, and he comes in and works his tail off every day, so he’s going to attack this like he attacks everything,” receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint said.