Vikings tackle Matt Kalil undergoes procedures beyond surgery to fix knees

Tom Pelissero | USA TODAY Sports

Correction/clarification: The original version of this story said Kalil had a Regenexx procedure in March. That procedure occurred in January. In March, Kalil underwent a Regenokine procedure with Dr. Sammy Masri:

Teddy Bridgewater's blind side protector has taken extra steps to get his knees healthy in hopes of returning to Pro Bowl form.

Minnesota Vikings left tackle Matt Kalil underwent arthroscopic surgery on both knees this offseason, as well as injections designed to help patients deal with joint pain, two people with knowledge of the procedures told USA TODAY Sports.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to disclose medical details on behalf of Kalil, who had the 2016 option in his contract picked up Monday by the Vikings despite a frustrating 2014 season.

Kalil, 25, had both knees cleaned out in January by renowned orthopedist James Andrews, the people said. He also had a Regenexx procedure, in which bone marrow containing stem cells was removed from his hip and injected into the problem area.

Then, in March, he traveled to New Jersey to undergo a Regenokine procedure with Dr. Sammy Masri, whose website says the program includes injections that use the body's own proteins to reduce inflammation.

Kalil has rehabbed and worked out at the Vikings' facility and elsewhere throughout the offseason.

It all has Kalil and the team optimistic that the No. 4 overall pick from the 2012 draft may be in a better place mentally and physically than he has been in years. Still, it may not be clear what difference, if any, the approach has made until the regular season begins in September.

Kalil has never missed a start in three seasons. But after earning a Pro Bowl trip as a rookie, his play has slipped — a drop-off that coincided with swelling and inflammation in one of his knees during the 2013 season.

Arthroscopic surgery last year cost Kalil offseason practice time, which he admitted in December was a setback. The knee also continued to swell, exacerbating a trying season that spilled over Nov. 23 into a confrontation with a heckler in the TCF Bank Stadium parking lot.

Kalil had at least one knee injury in college and underwent surgery prior to joining the Vikings.

He is due a $3,085,989 base salary in 2015, the last fully guaranteed year on his rookie deal. His 2016 option is guaranteed for injury only until the start of the 2016 league year, when it would become fully guaranteed if Kalil is on the roster.

He was a liability on the offensive line in 2014, when Bridgewater took over at quarterback in the third game as a rookie. The Vikings finished 7-9.

But Kalil has the physical traits to play his crucial position well, as he showed while helping pave the way for Adrian Peterson's 2012 MVP season.

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