The Oklahoma Sooners have had an absolute whirlwind of news over the past few days.
In addition to Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy getting terminated in the midst of being the winningest coach in the Cowboys’ program history, Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer will now undergo surgery to address a right-hand injury he sustained in his team’s 24-17 win over Auburn.
While Mateer is expected to return at some point this season, his overall timeline is unclear.
What Happened to QB John Mateer’s Hand?
Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables said that Mateer’s upcoming surgery is simply a necessary matter.
“After consulting with medical experts, it became clear that surgery is the best option for John and his short- and long-term future,” Venables said, according to CBS Sports. “He’s extremely disappointed he will miss some game action, but is eager to correct the issue and move forward. As he is with everything, we know he will be aggressive with his rehabilitation and work to return to the field as quickly as possible.”
ESPN’s Pete Thamel also sent out a notification early Tuesday evening stating that Mateer’s injury is, in fact, a broken bone in his right throwing hand.
Mateer’s injury is extra significant because it comes at a time when the signal-caller had strong odds of winning the Heisman Trophy. The junior has thrown for 4,621 yards and 38 touchdowns in addition to rushing for 23 TDs with 1,167 yards on the ground throughout his career.
Fairly positive that this is the play where #Sooners QB John Mateer suffered his hand injury against Auburn.
You can see Mateer’s hand collide with Tigers DE Keldric Faulk on the follow-through of his downfield throw.@SoonersOnSI pic.twitter.com/OtvHz4RHSv
— Carson Field (@CarsonDField) September 23, 2025
A Texas native, Mateer was already on a solid pace for the year; he had already thrown 1,215 yards in addition to six touchdowns. He had also already rushed for five additional TDs.
Read More: John Mateer Responds to Nick Saban’s ‘Rat Poison’ Theory That Personally Impacts Oklahoma QB
Interestingly enough, it is still definitively unclear exactly when Mateer’s injury occurred in the first quarter.
He stayed in the game despite the injury and finished with 271 passing yards and scored a 9-yard touchdown run with 4:54 remaining to put his team ahead for good.
Rewatched John Mateer’s first quarter to see when he got hurt and couldn’t find a clear moment.
He attempted a tackle on the overturned scoop-and-score. His arm was hit on one throw. He took a big hit on his final run. But no wincing or acting like anything was different.
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) September 23, 2025
Oklahoma will start sophomore Michael Hawkins Jr. in the Sooners’ next game against Kent State on October 4, 2025. The Sooners will have a bye this weekend as they adjust to Mateer being unavailable due to his injury.
