Vikings center Pat Elflein had shoulder surgery in offseason

Minnesota Vikings center Pat Elflein was put on the PUP list for training camp on Wednesday because of the fractured left ankle he suffered in the NFC Championship game. He had surgery on that this off season.

But it has been revealed by Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune that Elflein has had a second off season surgery for his shoulder. Elflein hurt his shoulder on December 2^nd in Atlanta and missed two of the last four of the Vikings regular season games.

Goessling had “heard all offseason that Elflein had also needed surgery on his shoulder, and sources said Wednesday he did in fact have an operation.”

Head coach Mike Zimmer said Wednesday at a press conference that Elflein will stay on the PUP list “until he gets healthy and the doctors say he can go. It shouldn’t be too long. He is getting better every day.”

The Vikings signed rookie J.P. Quinn on Tuesday as a backup insurance policy in the event that Elflein would not be up to practice fully for training camp. It should be noted that Elflein can be cleared at any time for training camp and once he is cleared from the PUP list he can participate in full team drills.

When the Vikings revealed that Elflein would be on the PUP list, there was knee jerk reaction of the usual gloom and doom that comes with being a Vikings fan. Injuries are not nice to this team so going to def-con five isn’t far off. But with this new off season surgery that has come to light it’s hard to not be a little worried.

But the Vikings game plan of making sure that Elflein is completely healthy, even if it means sitting out some of training camp so he can be ready to go for the regular season, is the right thing to do.