The Minnesota Vikings hope to have a bounce back season in 2022, and part of that process begins with getting some of their star players back on the field who were lost to injuries this season. One such addition that the team will be happy to have back at full health next year is star wide receiver Adam Thielen, who underwent ankle surgery two weeks ago. Speaking with the press about the operation, Thielen noted that his operation was a success.
“My ankle wasn’t stable,” Thielen told the Star-Tribune. “It’s a pretty easy surgery and everything went pretty well. It’s a pretty easy recovery, a few more weeks here and I should be feeling back to normal. Just trying to take advantage of every day and get back to where I can begin training again.”
Ankle Instability Procedure
Ankle instability and the stabilization procedure are two topics we talk about on the blog quite frequently, and it’s great to see that Thielen underwent the operation to address a lingering issue. In his comments to the Star-Tribune, Thielen noted that his ankle wasn’t stable, and that can be a major problem for athletes who rely on quick movements and sharp cuts on the football field.
You can try to restabilize your loose ankle ligaments through non-operative treatment, but oftentimes these methods aren’t as effective as a minimally invasive operation. Surgery allows the ligaments to be surgically reinforced, oftentimes providing much more strength and stabilization that what you could achieve with treatments like rest and physical therapy. In fact, surgery can sometimes help athletes come back stronger than they were prior to their original injury, which is why it’s so often recommended.
However, since athletes can typically play through an unstable ankle, sometimes it’s hard to sit out and have the procedure performed. So while there is hardly ever a great time for an injury, a late season injury means that Thielen can take all the time he needs to recover after surgery and he should have no problem being full strength well before next season.
Thielen said he’s still a “few more weeks” away from a full recovery, so we expect him to build on another great personal campaign next season. He had 10 touchdowns in just 11 games this season, and alongside young phenom Justin Jefferson, the pair make up one of the best dynamic duos in the league. We expect Thielen to continue with weeks of physical therapy and to slowly build up the amount of stress he puts on the ankle so that it is ready when next season rolls around. We’re glad to hear that his operation was a success, and we wish him all the best with his continued rehabilitation.