Kirkland Has Surgery, Says He Played at 60 Percent

The UW offensive tackle now considers his next step, which might be more Husky football.

Jaxson Kirkland leaned back on a surgical bed, his repaired right ankle bandaged tight following Tuesday surgery, posed for a photo and offered a stark disclosure.

Providing yet another reason for the sudden University of Washington football falloff last season, the big offensive tackle from Vancouver, Washington, revealed how bad it got for him.

While he repeated as a first-team, All-Pac-12 selection, Kirkland clearly wasn't the player he set out to be last fall. 

"Dr. Anderson said before surgery I had played on an ankle at less than 60 percent this past season," Kirkland wrote on Twitter. "I'm excited to be back stronger and better than ever."

Reports say that the 6-foot-7, 310-pound junior intends to petition for another season of college football, presumably with the UW, and delay his entry once more into the NFL draft.

On Monday, a family member said he would address his situation fairly soon.

Kirkland returned last season as a fifth-year junior for the Huskies in order to improve his NFL stock and try to guarantee that he was a first-round selection.

If anything, he lost some of his high regard as he and his team limped through an unexpected season of turmoil.

Kirkland started 10 of 12 games for the 4-8 Huskies last season, sitting games against Arizona and Stanford, ironically both victories. 

While pandemic provisions already supplied him with another college season of eligibility, Kirkland still has to gain NCAA approval following his momentary time in football limbo if he intends to play at the UW again and make himself into a first-rounder.

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