He knows there’s not much he can do. So Carlos Rogers will stay involved in the game plans; rehab with his two best friends and root for his replacement to succeed.
And count the days until his return next season. That’s about the best Rogers can do now that his season is over, which ended with two torn ligaments on Sunday.
“It’s frustrating, being the season I was having,” he said. “But there’s really nothing you can do about it but stay in good spirits, work hard and try to get back. … This injury takes five or six months [to recover from]. I’ll try to push myself to get back faster than that.”
Washington placed Rogers on injured reserve and signed cornerback John Eubanks, who had been on the practice squad.
Losing Rogers will hurt the secondary, especially if Fred Smoot’s hamstring continues to nag him throughout the season. Rogers is one of the most physical corners in the NFL, giving the Redskins a plus against the run.
“Carlos was just turning the corner and becoming the player we all know he can be,” safety Pierson Prioleau said.
Smoot gives Washington a quality starter to take Rogers’ place, but he’s already missed three games because of the hamstring. Both Smoot and the training staff said he will play Sunday at the New York Jets.
“I’ve got to get back right now,” Smoot said. “But it’s to the point of getting back and staying healthy. … They felt like I rushed myself back trying to get back and strung it out [worse].”
Leigh Torrence is the new No. 3 corner. Torrence, who played for Atlanta in 2005, has appeared in every game, mostly on special teams and the coaches like his speed. The Redskins could also opt to use Prioleau as a slot defender; or, at times rookie safety LaRon Landry.
“He’s real feisty,” Smoot said of Torrence. “He knows plays will get made and he keeps going. I like a guy who perseveres.”
But Smoot knows who will get picked on if they’re all in the game.
“If the quarterback looks over there and doesn’t recognize your name, nine times out of 10 he will try you,” Smoot said.
“It’s not pressure,” Torrence said, “it’s just an opportunity. You’re not guaranteed to get a chance like this.”
Now it’s Rogers who must persevere. But he’ll do so with his two best friends from college: running backs Ronnie Brown (Miami) and Cadillac Williams (Tampa Bay), both of whom also have had season-ending knee injuries.
“It’s like, what’s going on?” Rogers said. “What did we do wrong?”
