Georgia star tight end Brock Bowers is set to have tightrope ankle surgery for a high ankle sprain he suffered in the Bulldogs’ 37-20 win over Vanderbilt Saturday, per a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
The surgery is reportedly set to keep Bowers out for 4-6 weeks. Tennessee hosts Georgia inside Neyland Stadium in a little over a month, right in the middle of Bowers’ recovery window.
Georgia All-American TE Brock Bowers is having tightrope surgery on his injured ankle, the school announces, and he’s expected to miss four-to-six weeks.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 16, 2023
Bowers is set to have the same type of surgery former Tennessee wide receiver Cedric Tillman had last year after an injury against Akron. It took Tillman six weeks (Sep 17–Oct 29) to return to the field.
Additionally, former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had the same surgery but returned sooner than Tillman did, as the injury seems to naturally affect skill position players more than quarterbacks.
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Bowers’ significance to Georgia cannot be overstated. The junior tight end is their best player and was the reason Georgia was able to hold off Auburn’s upset bid in Week 5. Bowers, a future first round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, simply takes the Bulldogs’ offense to another level.
Bowers leads the team with 41 catches for 567 yards and has four touchdowns on the season. Furthermore, he had over 100 receiving yards in three consecutive games prior to getting injured in Nashville.
Georgia becomes much more human without their do-it-all weapon. Starting quarterback Carson Beck will now lean more on wide receivers Ladd McConkey, Rara Thomas, Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, Dominic Lovette and tight end Oscar Delp in the passing game.
