Umenyiora had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Friday in New York and likely will miss the season opener on Sept. 11.
The surgery to clean out the knee came just four days after the disgruntled Umenyiora joined teammates at practice for the first time since training camp opened late last month.
“It was better to do it now as opposed to midseason,” Umenyiora said in a statement. “It was going to have to be done, the only question was when. If I’m going to miss a little while, I would prefer it be now than at the crucial part of our season. It’s the best decision for the team and myself.”
Umenyiora has been a headline all summer, as he did not report to training camp with the team following the lockout because he was unhappy with his contract. He alleged that general manager Jerry Reese had promised to re-work the final two years of a contract that was to pay him $7.1 million through 2012.
The 29-year-old told The AP on Sunday that he would start practicing Monday, working this season under the terms of his current deal.
Umenyiora’s knee became an issue early in training camp, when the team announced one day that the nine-year veteran wasn’t practicing because he said his knee was bothering him.
It led to speculation that the knee had become a bargaining chip.
However, the team cleared him to start practicing last week and Umenyiora went to Atlanta to get a second opinion on the knee and was told he could practice.
After three practices — the team was off Thursday — the knee needed repair.
Coach Tom Coughlin said Umenyiora did nothing in practice to hurt the knee, adding that the medical staff knew months ago that surgery on his knee was a possibility.
“He didn’t do anything that would cause this to happen, other than it did swell,” Coughlin said.
The coach added that there is a chance Umenyiora might be ready for the opener at Washington, but that would require a fast recovery.
FRIDAY GAMES
At Dolphins 20, Panthers 10: Cam Newton, the top pick of the NFL draft, played the entire first half as the Panthers managed three first downs, had the ball for less than eight minutes and fell behind 17-0. Newton went 7-for-14 for 66 yards, and he ran four times for 18 yards. Reggie Bush played for the first time since joining the Dolphins and totaled 81 yards from scrimmage in three series.
At Packers 28, Cardinals 20: Aaron Rodgers topped off a sharp performance with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Greg Jennings as defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay beat Arizona. Rogers was 9-of-12 for 97 yards and the touchdown.
At Ravens 31, Chiefs 13: Backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor directed two fourth-quarter touchdown drives for Baltimore, the first ending with Jalen Parmele’s go-ahead 10-yard touchdown run with 7:16 remaining. Taylor later added a 5-yard TD run of his own.
At Jaguars 15, Falcons 13: David Garrard (7-of-12, 99 yards) did little to solidify his starting spot and rookie Blaine Gabbert (11-of-23, 96 yards) was equally unimpressive in Jacksonville’s win over Atlanta. Matt Ryan went 7-of-15 for 116 yards for the Falcons.
Redskins 16, at Colts 3: Quarterback John Beck (14-of-17 for 140 yards) led Washington to four straight first-half scores, outgaining Indianapolis 277-41 in the process. The Colts are 4-24 since 2005 in games played in August and early September.
Lions 30, at Browns 28: Colt McCoy threw three touchdown passes – two to tight end Evan Moore – in the first half, but Cleveland blew a 15-point lead against Detroit in a game that saw a total of 26 penalties for 211 yards.
EXTRA POINTS
Browns running back Peyton Hillis, who rushed for 1,177 yards last season, did not play against Detroit because of a hamstring injury suffered Wednesday in practice. … Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Bob Griese, who led Miami to Super Bowl titles in 1972 and 1973, is joining the Dolphins’ radio broadcast team this season as a replacement for Jim Mandich, who died in April.
