Washington Redskins strong safety LaRon Landry expects to come off the physically-unable-to-perform list this week in order to gauge the status of his ailing left Achilles’ tendon in the preseason game against Baltimore on Aug. 25.
“If I come back for the Ravens game and it’s not responding well, I’ve got two more weeks to grind and get ready for [the regular-season opener on] Sept. 11,” Landry said. “But I don’t want to wait until Sept. 11 to go out there full speed, and I don’t know how it’s going to respond. I’m going to give it a shot next week and see what it do.”
Landry’s inclusion on the PUP list has prohibited him from participating in any drills during training camp. He has spent each practice watching his teammates and doing rehabilitation exercises.
“I think he feels a lot more comfortable with his body, so we’d like to be able to get him ready to go against Baltimore and possibly the last [preseason] game against Tampa Bay,” coach Mike Shanahan said. “But, again, we’ll see on a day-to-day basis how he does drills, how he works into football shape.”
Landry said earlier in camp that he did not want to return until he was confident he could stay in the lineup. He acknowledged Monday the balance between the need to test the tendon and not to rush his return.
“I’m confident,” he said. “I don’t have any setbacks in my mind, any negative expectations. I’m going to think positive and keep it pumping. I won’t know how it’s going to react unless I get into live situations.”
The injury dates from last season. Landry was limited to only nine games because of microtears in the tendon. It was a significant blow to the defense because he flourished as a strong safety in coordinator Jim Haslett’s 3-4 scheme. He was placed on the season-ending injured reserve list Dec. 13.
While players were denied access to team facilities during the lockout, he spent the offseason rehabilitating in Arizona. He received shockwave therapy, a treatment in which high-energy shockwaves are sent into the foot to facilitate healing. He also received platelet-rich plasma injections. It’s a process in which blood is drawn; the platelets are concentrated and then injected back into his heel.
“I’m going to play how I play, and that’s 110 percent every play,” Landry said. “If I can’t do 110 percent, then we know. I need to start somewhere.”
The Redskins will not have to release a player to make room for Landry on the active roster because they are under the 90-player limit.
• Rich Campbell can be reached at rcampbell@washingtontimes.com.
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