We don’t know who Jimmy Clausen will have to battle for the Panthers’ starting quarterback job next season, but he’ll need to be in top health to wind up with the job.
He took a step toward that goal by having surgery on his left foot last week. The operation was performed by the team’s orthopedist and, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer, the operation was a minor one. There’s no word on the specific injury or if it helped contribute to Clausen’s lackluster results during the 2010 season.
Clausen started 10 games for the Panthers as a rookie. He completed 157 of 299 passes for 1,558 yards with three touchdowns and nine interceptions. His quarterback rating of 58.4 was the lowest of any qualified passer during the 2010 season.
It’s not Clausen’s first problem with his feet. He had toe surgery before the draft last year after tearing two ligaments in his right big toe during his final year at Notre Dame.