Jordan Love said initially he didn’t think his left thumb injury was serious.
Love actually tore his ulnar collateral ligament, which sometimes is called “skier’s thumb,” on the final play of the first preseason game Saturday. Dr. Steven Shin, a hand specialist in Los Angeles, operated on Love on Tuesday.
With the regular season still almost a month away, and thus plenty of time to heal, Love said the decision to undergo surgery was not really a decision at all. He saw no reason to play through it.
“That was part of the debate, whether to get surgery or whether you don’t get surgery,” Love said Thursday, via Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “If this were in the middle of the season, it would probably be something we wouldn’t get the surgery on.
“But with it still being early, I’m having time to recover, be fully ready for Week 1, the recommendation was to get the surgery.”
Love will begin easing back into practice next week. He will be able to throw, but taking a snap or handing off will take some time.
“Once I get throwing and moving around and things like that, we’ll just play it by ear,” Love said. “But next week we should be starting.”