Cornerback Lardarius Webb will have surgery on Wednesday or Thursday to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee. The surgery will also repair a torn meniscus that Webb sustained, which was not previously reported.
"They'll fix both of those things and we'll let you know how it goes," Head Coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday.
Webb suffered the injury during Sunday's win over the Dallas Cowboy and he was placed on injured reserve Tuesday. This is the second ACL tear he's suffered in his four NFL seasons, as he tore the opposite one during his rookie year.
One difference is that the torn ACL in 2009 came near the end of the season, which made it difficult for Webb to return to full strength by the start of the following year. By going down with the injury in Week 6 this year, Webb is looking at the silver lining.
"It's earlier than it was last time, so he's looking at that as a plus for next year," Harbaugh said. "He's been through this before, so he knows the routine."
With Webb done for the season, second-year cornerback Jimmy Smith will move into the starting lineup and free-agent signing Corey Graham will see a bump in playing time in nickel situations. This will be the first time that Smith, last season's first-round pick, will be inserted into the starting lineup on a full-time basis.
"I expect him to play really well," Harbaugh said about Smith. "I have tremendous confidence in Jimmy Smith. We all do. Jimmy has tremendous confidence. He's here for a reason. He's talented, he works hard. He'll play well."
