ASHBURN – LaRon Landry wants to return this season. But the final decision isn’t up to him, and one could be made early next week about both Landry and cornerback Carlos Rogers.
Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett said a decision could be made by Monday or Tuesday whether the Redskins will place these players on injured reserve.
Coach Mike Shanahan said, “It depends on how close they are. They both feel that they can come back even this week. If they can’t come back the following week, that’s always part of the conversation.”
Neither player practiced Thursday, and it’s hard to imagine at this point either one being ready for Sunday’s game vs. Tampa Bay. Landry has missed three games with an Achilles tendon injury, and Rogers (hamstring) has missed the past two games.
Landry had expressed hope earlier in the day that if he didn’t return Sunday, then he would still come back at some point. However, with the Redskins out of serious playoff contention and with the possibility that Landry’s Achilles could rupture, his return could be risky.
Not that this is what the Redskins want.
“It’s always good to have one of your better, if not your best, player on your defense,” Haslett said of Landry.
That’s what Landry wants.
“I want to finish what I started,” he said. “I want to be with my team and battle with those guys.”
Landry, the leading vote getter at safety for the NFC, also said he’s not thinking about the possibility of rupturing his Achilles if he does return.
“I’m not putting that in my mind right now,” Landry said. “I’m just trying to get back on the field. You can’t hold a competitor down. That’s how I feel. I’m anxious to get back on the field. I want to compete, and I want to finish strong.”
Nor does he want to come back just to earn a Pro Bowl berth.
“Not at all,” he said. “Just sitting out is killing me enough. My play would speak for itself. If I get to the Pro Bowl, of course it’s a goal. But if I get there I get there. Most importantly I want to be with my team.”
