As Ty Montgomery's absence stretched well past the expected recovery timetable for a sprained ankle, many wondered whether the injury might be more serious than the Green Bay Packers initially revealed. According to ESPN's Rob Demovsky, the rookie wideout now expects to undergo surgery this week on the affected ankle to repair some cartilage damage.

In the report, Montgomery's agent describes the procedure as "nothing major." The decision came following a visit with foot specialist Dr. Robert Anderson who recommended surgery. The cartilage damage perhaps explains why Montgomery struggled to return to the field approximately half a season after spraining his ankle. Regardless, if surgery goes as expected, the receiver should return to field by next season.

Montgomery suffered the injury while returning a kickoff during the Packers' 27-20 win over the San Diego Chargers on Oct. 18. At the time, the team believed he would return at some point shortly after the Week 7 bye, though that never occurred. Montgomery reportedly came close to a return a few weeks ago before re-aggravating the ankle. Another setback delayed his latest return attempt, forcing the team to consider placing him on season-ending injured reserve, a move they made official on Monday.

In six games, Montgomery caught 15 passes on 18 targets for 136 yards and two touchdowns. He also carried the ball three times for 14 yards. On special teams, Montgomery returned seven kickoffs for 218 yards (31.1 average).