In the middle of January it was reported that star quarterback Jake Browning had undergone surgery on his right (throwing) shoulder, sending the Washington faithful into a hyperventilating tizzy. A couple of weeks later, Browning’s head coach assuaged some of the anguish.
At the press conference to discuss UW’s signing day haul, Petersen acknowledged that the rising junior underwent what he described as “a minor procedure” on the shoulder earlier this offseason. Browning originally suffered the unspecified injury in mid-October but continued to play, helping guide the Huskies to their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance.
The coach stated that Browning will be available for the spring, although it appears that will be on a limited basis even more so than originally planned.
“We’ve already had a plan — you know, Jake is one of those guys that just loves to throw and throw and throw,” Petersen said to the Seattle Times. “So from really when he got here, we’ve been trying to back him off (after) these long years, to make sure. And so he should be fine for spring ball, but also want to give these other (quarterbacks) some really good work in spring ball.”
In a superb sophomore season that set him up to be a Heisman favorite entering 2017, Browning’s 43 touchdown passes tied the single-season Pac-12 record. He was the most efficient quarterback in the conference (43-9 while completing 62 percent of his passes) and seventh nationally.
