Patriots WR Mohamed Sanu to Undergo Surgery After Playing Through High Ankle Sprain Last Season
By Michael Luciano
New England Patriots fans finally have some clarity as to why wide receiver Mohamed Sanu looked more sluggish and less effective after he joined the team.
The veteran wide receiver played through a high ankle sprain last season, and the injury will force him to undergo surgery after it failed to heal properly.
After his injury failed to heal this off-season, Patriots’ WR Mohamed Sanu needs surgery on a high ankle sprain that plagued him throughout last season, per source. The surgery helps explain why Sanu’s production tailed off last season; he played through a lot of pain.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 28, 2020
A former star at Rutgers who spent the first seven years of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons, Sanu was traded from Atlanta to New England for a second-round pick right before the trade deadline last season. Sanu failed to become the No. 2 to Julian Edelman they expected, as he managed just 26 catches, 207 yards, and one touchdown in his time as a Patriot last season.
ESPN's Mike Reiss claims that he suffered the injury on a punt return against the Eagles. Sanu had just 12 catches for 99 yards in five games after that contest, and he never topped three catches or 35 yards in any one game.
Mohamed Sanu's injury occurred on a punt return against the Eagles, in his third game in New England. It changed the trajectory of his 2019 season with the Patriots. https://t.co/dCvAwPIKbl
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) February 28, 2020
Sanu will be 31 this season, and he will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2020 season.
His production decline after leaving Matt Ryan for Tom Brady was shocking in how steep it was, but Patriots fans can at least take comfort in the fact that the Sanu they got last season was not a fully healthy one. Hopefully he produces at a level that makes New England feel a bit better about parting ways with a second-rounder for him.