On January 25, 1967, Ryan underwent an operation to repair the remaining effects of his injury. The surgery eliminated the pain, but also affected his throwing motion. In the 1967 season opener, Ryan's injury woes continued as he sprained both ankles in a 21–14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Battling through that malady, along with shoulder and knee troubles, Ryan led the team to a 9–5 record to reach the playoffs. The season would see Ryan having a concussion from a head-to-head collision with Dick Butkus. He was knocked out in the second-quarter but came back to throw three touchdown passes in the third quarter to will his team to a 24–0 victory. Ryan credits this collision for the cervical disc replacement he underwent after retiring.