Former Vikings defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd will sue renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews and his Institute for Orthopedic Surgery, according to Floyd’s attorney. The suit will amount to $180 million.
According to sources for ESPN, Floyd went to Andrews in 2016 for arthroscopic knee surgery, a relatively routine procedure that would require him to miss only a few weeks. However, in the process, those operating found a microfracture and operated on it. The procedure included drilling into the bone and administering a pain blocker post-op. The suit alleges that the pain blocker paralyzed the nerve and muscles around Floyd’s knee. As a result, Floyd has been unable to play football ever since.
While Floyd’s suit includes several involved in the surgery, including Andrews and the anesthesiologist, the Vikings are not included in the lawsuit. The $180 million represents the projected money that Floyd could have made in his NFL career had the microfracture surgery not been performed as it was.
Floyd, the consensus number one defensive tackle recruit out of high school in 2010, had a stellar three years at Florida before declaring for the 2013 NFL draft. Post-combine, he was considered one of the top defensive line prospects and some projected him to go as high as the top-five. He ultimately slipped a little, falling to Minnesota at 23. In three full seasons with the Vikings, he excelled, recording 95 tackles and 9.5 sacks while starting 24 games. Prior to his knee injury in 2016, the future looked bright for Floyd.
Alas, because of the significant nerve damage, Minnesota placed Floyd on non-football injury list in 2017. He filed a grievance with the NFLPA following his designation and release, saying he did not apply for the NFI list and Minnesota should pay his full 2017 salary. There is yet to be a settlement with the grievance.
As for Dr. Andrews, his reputation has been sterling prior to Floyd’s suit. He is generally considered the go-to surgeon for athletes with joint and ligament damage. Just last year, Andrews did procedures on two Vikings, Dalvin Cook and Sam Bradford. Should Floyd’s suit go to trial, it will likely happen late next year.
–Sam Smith is the Managing Editor for Full Press Coverage Vikings and Deputy Editor for Full Press NFL. Like and Follow @samc_smith.
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