The Facts: Owens has undergone surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in one of his knees following a previously undisclosed injury this offseason, according to sources familiar with the injury. Owens, 37, was unavailable for comment but sources said the surgery by noted orthopedist Dr. James Andrews occurred within the past month.

Diehards Line:One source told ESPN's Chris Mortensen that Owens tore the ACL during a personal workout but other sources could not confirm the cause of injury. Sources said while Owens did tear an ACL with the new injury, he suffered no other damage to the knee in question and with intensive rehab he conceivably could return within six months, or around mid-to-late November, in a best-case scenario. ... Owens has said he intended to play a 16th season in 2011 after catching 72 passes for 983 yards and nine touchdowns for the Bengals. He will be a free agent when the NFL lockout ends but as Mortensen suggests, this injury places his status, and perhaps his career, in question.