FAYETTEVILLE — Ryan Mallett underwent surgery Wednesday on a broken bone in his left foot which he suffered during conditioning drills earlier that same day, says Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino.
Mallett’s injury will require the junior to stay off the foot for one month, and the quarterback will wear a protective boot for one month afterward. He's expected to miss the next three to four months recovering, but it's unknown when he’ll be physically able to return to partial workouts not involving his injured leg. Mallett suffered the broken bone during a change-of-direction drill Wednesday morning.
Petrino spoke to a booster club gathering in Texarkana on Wednesday night, where he revealed the details surrounding Mallett’s injury.
Petrino said the Razorbacks were fortunate the injury occurred this early in the offseason, giving Mallett time to recuperate completely before fall workouts. Mallett is expected to be out of action three to four months and will miss spring practices.
Mallett set or tied 16 school records in his first year as Arkansas’ starting quarterback last fall and turned heads along the way. He threw for 3,624 yards and 30 touchdowns with 7 interceptions in leading Arkansas to an 8-5 record and win in the Liberty Bowl. He was a second-team selection on the All-SEC teams picked by the media and league’s coaches.
Mallett is no stranger to injuries. He injured the ring finger on his throwing hand in June after a mishap in the weight room and was sidelined for several weeks. Mallett also dislocated the thumb on his throwing hand during spring drills in 2008, when he sat out a season after transferring from Michigan.
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