Kevin Smith doesn't need shoulder surgery
After a promising rookie season (671 yards in the second half) in 2008, it seemed reasonable to expect that Detroit Lions running Kevin Smith would have a breakout year in 2009.
Instead, he had a break-down year.
Smith suffered from an injury-plagued sophomore season and missed the final three regular-season games due a knee injury that also put his status for training camp into doubt.
Against the Redskins on September 27th, Smith popped his shoulder out of place, returned to play the following week and it was expected that he would need shoulder surgery following the season.
Per Nicholas Cotsonika of the Detroit Free Press, however, Smith will not need surgery on his shoulder.
“It was just assumed, ‘OK, well, it’s going to need to be done,’” [Lions coach Jim] Schwartz said. “And then things change, because as the year goes on and he’s able to play with it without having another issue with it, and then you get looks at new tests and strength and all those kind of things … yeah, that ended up changing things, yes.”
Although he was productive in the passing game (41 receptions for 415 yards), Smith only had 747 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
As he works to come back from tearing knee ligaments, there's a chance that he won't be ready to start the season. And it's widely believed that the Lions will add a running back in the off-season either in free agency or through the draft.
