The Bulldogs head coach speaks about the junior wide receiver, who played sparingly against Tennessee on Saturday.
Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey has dealt with multiple injuries this season, and the latest left him limited in Georgia’s Week 12 game against No. 18 Tennessee. Although McConkey was not able to do much against the Volunteers, head coach Kirby Smart explained on Monday that there is no cause for concern with McConkey going forward.
Smart said on Monday that McConkey was able to practice a bit last week after injuring his ankle against Ole Miss and had the injury bother him in Knoxville. Past that, however, Smart explained there is not concern about McConkey needing tightrope surgery, which multiple Bulldogs have undergone this season.
“He’s got a tweaked ankle that he tweaked in the game here at home. He was able to go a little bit at the end of the week but didn’t practice much. It bothered him a little bit Saturday, but nothing any more severe than that,” Smart said. “We’ve done MRI since the game and are doing even more testing. We feel good that he’s going to be able to return. Right before I came in here, Claude [Felton] said there’s questions about tightrope surgery, but that’s not the case at all. I don’t know where that’s coming from.”
McConkey played sparingly against Tennessee on Saturday and ended the game with no receptions on six snaps. Smart explained after the game that McConkey suffered an ankle injury last week and was limited in the lead-up to the Bulldogs’ game against the Volunteers.
“We thought he’d be able to go, but he was not really able to go,” Smart said on Saturday. “He tried and got out there in warm-ups, but he didn’t do much.”
McConkey’s junior season has been hampered significantly by injury. McConkey suffered a back injury during fall camp that forced him to miss the first four games of the Bulldogs’ season. He made his return from injury in Week 5 against Auburn, when he had 4 receptions for 38 yards in the Bulldogs’ 27-20 victory.
“For what he practiced, I thought we got way more out of him today,” Smart said after the Bulldogs beat the Tigers. “You know, I worry about him getting a little rusty. He’s so confident. He played great in this stadium the last time we were here if you remember, and he made some big conversions today.”
McConkey stepped up in a big way over the next few weeks, especially when tight end Brock Bowers was out due to an ankle injury. In seven games, McConkey has 26 receptions for 418 yards and 2 touchdowns.
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