Texas and Oklahoma fans have been looking forward to seeing quarterbacks Arch Manning and John Mateer face off in the October 11 showdown. But now it looks like the much-hyped game may be missing a key player, depending on how long it takes Mateer to recover from surgery this week. Several unnamed sources are providing media publications with possible timelines for Mateer’s recovery, and they’re disagreeing on just when he’ll be back.
John Mateer May Need a Month to Recover from This Week’s Hand Surgery
Mateer broke a bone in his throwing hand during the first quarter of OU’s game against the Auburn Tigers, Pete Thamel of ESPN reported. Still, Mateer pushed through and continued playing for the rest of the game, leading the team to a 24-17 victory.
According to On3, the video below shows the play where he broke his throwing hand.
Now he’s going to have to take time off to make sure his hand heals properly.
OU football’s head coach Brent Venables just announced that Mateer is having surgery on his throwing hand on Wednesday, September 24.
And although he continued playing and led the team to a 24-17 victory, he’s going to have to take time off to make sure his hand heals properly.
ESPN Analyst Says It May Take a Month for Mateer to Return
Pete Thamel of ESPN reported that Mateer’s surgery will be performed by Dr. Steven Shin in Los Angeles, one of the leading hand/wrist surgeons. He said that according to sources, it will likely take about a month for Mateer’s hand to heal.
He wrote on X: “Sources: John Mateer’s injury is a broken bone in his right (throwing) hand that he suffered in the first quarter against Auburn on Saturday night. The estimated timeline after surgery is expected to be about a month, as the surgery is considered straight-forward.”
A month-long recovery would put Mateer back on the field after the October 11 Texas-OU game.
Sources Told On3 There’s ‘Hope’ Mateer Might Recover in Time
But not everyone is reporting that Mateer will most likely be out until after the Texas-OU game.
Pete Nakos of On3 reported that sources told him there’s “some hope” that Mateer may be back in time for the Longhorns game.
He wrote on X: “Sources tell @On3sports there’s some hope Oklahoma QB John Mateer could be back for Red River, but the recovery process will be critical.”
Mateer Is ‘Extremely Disappointed,’ Said Brent Venables
Venables said that Mateer is “extremely disappointed” that he’s going to miss some games, but this is the best decision for his future, Sooner Sports reported.
“After consulting with medical experts, it became clear that surgery is the best option for John and his short- and long-term future,” Venables said. “He’s extremely disappointed he will miss some game action but is eager to correct the issue and move forward. As he is with everything, we know he will be aggressive with his rehabilitation and work to return to the field as quickly as possible.”
Michael Hawkins Jr. will play in his place this week and may be the starter against the Longhorns if Mateer isn’t back yet.