Johnson suffered a hip injury in the third quarter of North Carolina’s win over Minnesota on Thursday.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The North Carolina football team opened its 2024 season Thursday with a 19-17 road win over Minnesota, but it wasn’t all smiles and rainbows for the Tar Heels.
During the third quarter of Thursday’s win, UNC quarterback Max Johnson fell awkwardly while taking a sack and immediately grabbed his right leg. He was ultimately carted off the field as his parents watched on from the stands with bated breath.
Johnson didn’t return to the game, paving the way for Conner Harrell to come in and lead UNC to a victory. While he struggled to move the ball down the field, Harrell helped the Tar Heels come away with two big field goals that ultimately proved the difference in the game.
Before he was injured, Johnson was 12-of-19 for 71 yards and an interception. He also ran for a touchdown — North Carolina’s only one of the night.
After the game, head coach Mack Brown said Johnson suffered a hip injury. There is currently no timetable for his return, though it likely won’t be in the near future.
Hip injuries are pretty rare for quarterbacks. The most notable instance of a player dealing with one in recent memory is when former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa dislocated his hip during the 2019 season. Tagovailoa missed the remainder of the year but has since gone on to have a successful NFL career with the Miami Dolphins.
Johnson is the son of former NFL quarterback Brad Johnson, who played 15 years in the NFL and led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to their first-ever Super Bowl title back in 2002.
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