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Redskins receiver Malcolm Kelly, one of the team's three picks in the second round of the NFL Draft, could miss some significant time if he requires another surgery on his left knee. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)
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ASHBURN — Malcolm Kelly’s rookie season might end before it begins. And Jon Jansen’s tenure as a starter could be over.
A day after the preseason ended, those were the mini bombshells dropped by Redskins coach Jim Zorn.
Kelly dressed for Thursday’s 24-3 preseason finale, but his surgically-repaired left knee swelled up on him, forcing him to miss the game. He did not play in the preseason. Now Zorn said one option includes placing him on the injured reserve list, thereby ending his season.
"It’s a possibility," Zorn said.
Kelly could also undergo more surgery or be placed on the physically unable to perform list, meaning he would be ineligible to play for the first six weeks.
Equally possible is Jansen losing his right tackle job to second-year Stephon Heyer. Jansen did not play Thursday because of a bruised left foot and was replaced by Heyer, who held his own on the right side after struggling earlier this preseason at left tackle.
"Stephon helped himself Thursday night," Zorn said. "He shored things up. That’s a very close battle. He has a chance to compete for the position. I haven’t given up on Jon Jansen."
Zorn also wants to make sure that Jansen, a starter since he joined the Redskins in 1999, is completely healthy.
The Redskins have to trim their roster to 53 by 4 p.m. Saturday. They haven’t yet decided on who their punter will be. One player who helped himself, Zorn said, is linebacker Alfred Fincher.
Rookie Justin Tryon, a fourth-round pick, had a rough night vs. the Jaguars and did not have an impressive preseason
