Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman might need an elbow operation more commonly associated with baseball pitchers than with football players.

ESPN’s John Clayton reported early Monday morning that Sherman could be headed for Tommy John surgery on his left elbow.

Sherman tore ligaments in the elbow during the Seahawks’ win over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game. He finished that game in pain, seemingly playing with his left arm unavailable, then made it all the way through the Super Bowl on Sunday.

In the Tommy John procedure, a damaged ligament is replaced by a tendon grafted from elsewhere in the body.

Sherman, 26, recorded four interceptions and eight passed defensed during the regular season, with opposing teams rarely targeting the receiver he covered. He added an interception in each of the Seahawks’ two playoff wins last month, against the Carolina Panthers and the Packers.

In Seattle’s 28-24 Super Bowl loss to the New England Patriots, Sherman was credited with two tackles.