Athletic Performance at the National Football League Scouting Combine After Arthroscopic Meniscal Surgery

Meniscal surgery is common and debilitating in National Football League (NFL)-bound athletes. Although statistical performance has been demonstrated after surgery, functional performance as measured at the NFL Combine is not well-defined.

The purpose of this study was to determine the functional performance, production scores, athleticism scores, overall scores, and draft position of NFL Combine participants after meniscal surgery compared with a matched control group. It was hypothesized that there would be no difference in functional performance or graded scores between athletes with meniscal surgery compared with controls.

Cohort Study; Level of evidence, 3.

NFL-caliber athletes who had previous arthroscopic meniscal repair or meniscectomy and participated in the NFL Scouting Combine between 2014 and 2024 were compared with a control group. Data included the 40-yard dash, 10-second split, vertical, broad jump, shuttle, 3-cone drill, production, athleticism, and overall scores, prospect grades, and draft position.

A total of 48 athletes were included in the repair group; 43 athletes were included in the meniscectomy group, with the same number of controls after matching. Compared with controls, players in the meniscal repair group had significantly slower 3-cone drill (7.40 ± 0.43 vs 7.20 ± 0.38 seconds; P = .018), shuttle drill (4.51 ± 0.26 vs 4.38 ± 0.26 seconds; P = .016), lower athleticism (69.74 ± 12.95 vs 76.13 ± 11.28; P = .012), and overall scores (70.95 ± 14.22 vs 77.47 ± 8.30; P = .007). There was no significant difference in the 40-yard dash (P = .439) or vertical tests (P = .559). Players in the meniscectomy group had a significantly slower shuttle compared with controls (4.45 ± 0.31 vs 4.34 ± 0.18 seconds; P = .047), lower athleticism (69.62 ± 12.53 vs 76.67 ± 10.84; P = .007), and overall scores (70.59 ± 10.56 vs 75.24 ± 9.52; P = .035). There was no significant difference in the 40-yard dash (P = .164) or vertical tests (P = .108). There was no significant correlation between the NFL Combine performance and time from surgery.

While overall athletic performance remained largely unaffected by arthroscopic meniscal repair or meniscectomy, specific drills, such as the 3-cone and shuttle drills, demonstrated significant declines, suggesting a negative effect on agility and quickness. Metrics used to score NFL prospects were also inferior in the meniscal repair and meniscectomy groups. These findings highlight the potential effects of meniscal surgery on athletic performance, underscoring the need for surgeon guidance on expectant postsurgical functional deficits for NFL-caliber athletes.