Ravens LB Teddye Buchanan Out After Confirmed ACL Surgery on Right Knee

Teddye Buchanan is done for the season after suffering a confirmed right knee ACL tear that has already gone to surgery. The ACL tear itself is confirmed — no inference needed there — and the surgical flag is active, meaning this is a full reconstruction timeline.

The injury date is anchored to December 14, 2025 (confirmed from prior thread reporting), and as of September 11, 2026, Buchanan is now approximately 39 weeks post-injury. The literature window for ACL reconstruction sits at 9–12 months (roughly 39–52 weeks) from the surgical date. That means Buchanan is right at the early edge of the published return-to-play window — the earliest end of the biological range is just now becoming relevant.

One important caveat: the source confirms surgery occurred but does not specify the exact procedure. The most likely intervention for a confirmed ACL tear is reconstruction (the literature floor of 9–12 months applies), but if additional procedures were performed — meniscal repair, cartilage work, or multi-ligament reconstruction — the upper end of that window extends meaningfully. Until the procedure is publicly disclosed, the full 9–15+ month range should be respected.

This is T1 evidence territory — ACL reconstruction is one of the best-studied injuries in sports medicine, and the 9–12 month biological window is well-established. Elite rehab optimizes the environment; it doesn't override the biology. With Buchanan sitting at approximately 39 weeks post-surgery, he's at the floor of the literature range. Whether he returns for the Ravens' postseason push — or at all this season — depends entirely on criterion-based clearance, not calendar milestones. The watch signal here is any report of practice participation or a designation change off the season-ending IR.