NFL: Green Bay Packers star Greg Jennings to have surgery on injury problem

Greg Jennings: Opted to have surgery for injury problem

Green Bay Packers receiver Greg Jennings has opted to have surgery to solve his recurring groin injury which has seen him play in just three games this season.

Jennings was hurt in the first game of the season against San Francisco, and although he returned in the third game against Seattle he was only able to last half the game and has since missed the last three outings.

The 29-year-old hoped that rehab would cure the problem, but after a second opinion in Philadelphia he decided that surgery was the only way to solve the injury once and for all.

"Free agency will take care of itself. Hopefully, I've put on film certain plays that I'm able to make and showcase my talents. Right now, I have to take care of myself and do what's best for me."
Greg Jennings

"An injection would have masked most of the pain, but there's still no guarantee I'd be able to go out there and hit that last gear, and that's the one thing I have to have," Jennings told the team's website. "There's no sense in me taking a shot that may or may not work.

"I need to take care of it to get back to 100 percent, and that's the process I'm going to take."

As for a timescale for his return, Jennings would not put a date on it but hoped to be back before the end of the season, adding: "My body will tell me that, hopefully, I can return before the season ends."

The injury comes at a bad time for the two-time Pro Bowler who is in the final year of his contract and despite three 1,000-yard seasons out of the last four, he could well find it hard to get a fresh deal at Lambeau Field.

For some time Aaron Rodgers' favourite target at receiver, Jennings has seen Jordy Nelson, James Jones and Randall Cobb step up with fine performances in his absence, and the Packers may feel they can spend their money elsewhere with such options.

Options

Green Bay seem deep enough at receiver to not need to splash out the $10m a year Jennings could command with such options on their roster, but he insists he can only concentrate on his recovery.

"Free agency will take care of itself," Jennings added. "Hopefully, I've put on film certain plays that I'm able to make and showcase my talents. Right now, I have to take care of myself and do what's best for me."

Green Bay do, however, have a slight injury worry over Nelson for Sunday's game with Jacksonville as he has missed pactice with a hamstring problem - as he has really stepped up to assume the number one role with Jennings being out.

Nelson has had back-to-back 100-yard games with four touchdowns, but Jones has also upped his production with two TDs in three straight games whilst second-year man Cobb has a proven to have a special talent and can be used in the running and return game as well as out wide.