Shariff Floyd suing Dr. Andrews

Former Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd has filed a lawsuit against famed orthopedist Dr. James Andrews and several other parties for alleged negligence during a 2016 knee surgery that caused career-ending complications, seeking at least $180 million for potentially lost earnings.

Brad Sohn, an attorney for Floyd, confirmed Tuesday the complaint was filed in Orlando, Fla. Sohn said he believes the case can be made for damages exceeding $200 million, when projecting career contract values for the NFL’s premier defensive tackles.

Floyd missed three games in 2015 for cartilage cleanup in his left knee. After playing in the 2016 opener, Floyd needed a similar operation on the right knee.

During that surgery, Sohn said, doctors determined a more comprehensive procedure was necessary to help stimulate regrowth of Floyd’s cartilage. After drilling into the knee bone, a post-operation pain blocker was injected into the nerve.

Floyd’s leg never fully recovered enough to be able to return to the field.