Browns tight end Barnidge undergoes hernia surgery

Associated Press

ROCKY RIVER

Gary Barnidge had a legitimate excuse for missing the Browns’ charity golf outing.

Cleveland’s Pro Bowl tight end underwent surgery to repair a sports hernia in Philadelphia on Thursday, and it’s possible his recovery could cause him to miss the start of the team’s training camp in July.

Barnidge, who had a breakout season with career-highs in catches, yards and touchdowns in 2015, was not on the field for the Browns’ eighth and final practice session of organized team activities on Wednesday.

Coach Hue Jackson had called it an “excused absence.” But before teeing off with dozens of players and some noted Browns alumni, including Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown, he revealed the 30-year-old Barnidge was having surgery.

Barnidge had been practicing with the injury before the team’s medical staff decided an operation was necessary. Jackson said Barnidge will miss next week’s three-day minicamp and his status for training camp is uncertain.

“I’m glad that we’re dealing with this now, so that we can get it behind us and get him back to where he needs to be,” Jackson said. “Knowing him, he’ll be chomping at the bit way before time, but we’ll slow him down and make sure he’s ready to go. But I don’t think there’s any concern he’s not going to be ready to go or anything like that. But it’s good to get these things behind us as fast as we can.”

Barnidge was arguably Cleveland’s best player last season, leading the team with 79 receptions for 1,043 yards and nine touchdowns. He tied Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome’s single-season franchise record for TD catches and was rewarded in December with a three-year, $12.3 million contract extension.