Redskins place receiver on injured reserve list
ASHBURN – The Redskins put Malcolm Kelly on injured reserve Tuesday, ending his season and answering a summer-long question. However, this doesn’t guarantee that he’ll return next season — or even still be around in a couple months.
Kelly was placed on IR after re-injuring his left hamstring, which had sidelined him for all but one day of camp. The Redskins could have cut him, but by putting him on IR it implies that they want to keep him in Washington. Still, that’s not a guarantee.
“When someone gets well, you can release him,” Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said. “A lot has to do with how he works. I like the guy as a person. He has a lot of qualities you look for in a player. The main thing is, can he get out on the field eventually and play. If I see the right type of work ethic and him doing the little things the right way, he has a much better opportunity next year.”
Kelly played only five games his rookie season, limited by a knee injury. Coming out of Oklahoma in 2008, he was considered a risk because of injuries and one NFL executive said a few teams took him off their draft boards for that reason. The Redskins drafted him in the second round.
But he played all 16 games last year, catching 25 passes, including nine in his last two games.
“He understands he has to get on the field and he hasn’t been able to do that,” Shanahan said. “For whatever reason he hasn’t been able to stay healthy.”
