Brian Kelly provides latest Garrett Nussmeier injury update

Brian Kelly addressed the reports that LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier had sustained a serious injury on Wednesday at practice, clarifying that he had “Patellar Tendinitis” and that he was throwing today and will be back in practice situations tomorrow.

“Just for the record, he has patella tendonitis. He does not have a torn ACL. We have not amputated his leg. He has a PO, and you know the initials of that: patella tendon. He was out there today throwing; tomorrow he’ll likely be back in a practice situation.

A lot of this stems from his 2023 Osgood-Schlatter surgery, when the tendon was irritated. This is just a chronic condition, we’ll calm it down and everything will be fine. no long-term effects. It’s tendonitis, and it’s managed every single day. He’ll be back out there, just like coming back from a bad ankle. He practiced today and will again tomorrow. I think he just planted wrong, and when you have a pre-existing condition like this, it’s easy to aggravate. That’s what happened — tendonitis in the patella.

It’s the patella tendon — not torn, no fraying. This was a pre-existing issue, and he probably just planted wrong. There’s nothing on film, but it aggravated the tendon. He’ll be fine. We’ll let it calm down, maybe use a Medrol pack to reduce inflammation. On a scale of 1 to 10, this is about a 1.5.”

*As for whether it’s the left or right knee* “I’m not sure, and that tells you how minor it is. This isn’t a serious injury. It’s like guys dealing with tendonitis every day. Take two aspirins and I’ll call you in the morning. This is precautionary.”

Wednesday’s reporting on Nussmeier

On Wednesday afternoon, rumors began to swirl that Nussmeier left practice with a serious lower body injury. It was a closed practice to the media, so there were no immediate denials or confirmations, but eventually, The Bengal Tiger’s Shea Dixon set the record straight, reporting that Nussmeier “is not facing a serious injury that would keep him out for any extended period of time – let alone the rest of fall camp or the Top 10 matchup in Week 1 at Clemson, sources tell The Bengal Tiger staff.”

Dixon continued, “During Wednesday’s practice, Nussmeier was involved in what one source described as “normal football stuff” during offense vs. defense drills, adding that Nussmeier was not “carried off the field” following a live play, as reported, but rather “was walking off” contact ahead of starting the next play before LSU head coach Brian Kelly “told Nuss to just sit it out for the rest of the practice”.

Multiple sources described Kelly’s decision as “strictly precautionary”, and there was no mention of LSU’s medical staff having concerns moving forward.”

The senior quarterback has been extremely active throughout fall camp, looking to further develop his game ahead of his final season in college. He’s looked to be more assertive in the run game, even taking off in practice and looking to be more comfortable with his legs. The hope for all LSU fans and coaches is that he’s careful and gets through fall camp without any more scares — whether they’re substantial or not.

“He’s learning from last year,” Kelly said. “He had chances to run and didn’t always take them. He now understands that quarterbacking isn’t just about standing still and throwing. He’s athletic enough, and we’ve coached him to take those five or six runs a game when it helps. It makes him more effective overall.”

Stay tuned to The Bengal Tiger and On3 network for full coverage of LSU Football’s 2025 fall camp ahead of the season opener against Clemson.