NEW ORLEANS — The shoulder injury suffered by Broncos left tackle Ryan Clady turned out to be significant.

An impending free agent who just made his second All-Pro team, Clady will undergo surgery to repair his right shoulder, according to three NFL sources. Although Clady is expected to miss much of the Broncos’ offseason program, he should be sufficiently healed by the regular-season opener.

Clady is eligible for unrestricted free agency, although the Broncos are certain to either slap a franchise tag on him that would pay an estimated $9.66 million salary for the 2013 season, or work out a multiple-year contract extension that would average at least $10 million a year.

Clady suffered the injury in the Broncos’ final regular-season game against the Kansas City Chiefs. He sat out practices during the bye week but was able to play through the injury during the Broncos’ 38-35 double-overtime, AFC divisional-round playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Jan. 12.

He was excused from playing in the Pro Bowl game Sunday because of the shoulder injury. The Broncos’ first-round draft pick at No. 12 overall in 2008, Clady has started all 80 regular-season games in his career.