After losing the starting quarterback position to Gio Lopez, Max Johnson saw action in the season opener against TCU in the third quarter. Lopez was shaken down after a hit that saw him fumble the ball, leading to the Horned Frogs scoring a touchdown.
With limited time left, Johnson impressed by completing nine of 11 passes for 103 yards and one touchdown. It’s currently unknown whether Lopez will return for the next game or if coach Bill Belichick will give the position back to Johnson. Before that, let’s look at Max Johnson’s injury history.
Max Johnson’s Injury in 2024 Season Opener for UNC
Last season, Max Johnson was named the starting quarterback for the North Carolina Tar Heels. He joined the program after transferring from Texas A&M (and before that, LSU) and succeeded Drake Maye as QB1.
In the season opener against Minnesota, he completed 12 passes and even scored on a running play. However, in the third quarter, he was sacked, and in the process, he twisted his leg.
“I knew it was pretty serious as soon as it happened,” Johnson said in UNC’s fall camp media availability. “I couldn’t tell if it was my knee or my femur or my leg. I remember getting up. I put my shoulders around the trainers who were carrying me off the field, and as soon as I got picked up, my leg kind of slipped out. I kind of felt it dangling. Right then and there, I knew it was my femur.”
After it was found that he had a broken right femur, he was done for the season. A prolonged hospitalization and uncertain recovery timeline awaited the UNC quarterback.
Read More: The Latest Injury Update to Max Johnson Isn’t Great, Though He Vows “He Will Be Back”
Max Johnson’s road to recovery: Emergency procedures and amputation fears
Max Johnson was in the hospital for several days. He went under the knife five times, and at one point, there was a concern that he might have to get his leg amputated. While it didn’t come to that, it laid the ground for a grueling rehab.
“It’s been a crazy, crazy journey,” Johnson said. “I remember lying on the field, ticked off that I couldn’t play for that season. I did all that work last year from January to the season. I was just frustrated that I couldn’t play. All the long hours of rehab, seven days a week, three hours in the training room of just grinding away. Not being seen and just watching everybody doing their things. I had to go in there, put my head down, and just work.”
Read More: Max Johnson Reveals Scary Truth About Season-Ending Injury That Nearly Cost UNC QB His Leg
Doctors gave him a broad recovery window: six months to a year. In March, Bill Belichick praised Johnson’s work ethic and progress, calling his effort “very encouraging.”
Now it remains to be seen whether his limited action against TCU impressed Belichick enough to make a shift at the starting quarterback position.
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