Redskins’ Roy Helu likely out ‘at least a week’ with toe injury, Jay Gruden says

Redskins coach Jay Gruden said Monday that he expects Roy Helu to be out “at least a week” with the left toe injury he sustained in Sunday’s loss to the St. Louis Rams.

Helu left the game in the fourth quarter after essentially stubbing the big toe in his left foot. The recovery process could be more difficult for the running back as he hurt the same toe on Sept. 26, 2012, an injury that proved to be season-ending.

Gruden said Helu was scheduled to see a foot specialist, and the team would know more about the injury then.

“Those things are tough on backs. All players, really,” Gruden said. “Those turf toe injury type things, those are hard to recover from in a short period of time.”

Safety Brandon Meriweather missed Sunday’s game with a similar toe ailment, which the team has classified as a sprain. Gruden said Meriweather’s injury is not as severe but could continue to hamper the safety this week.

“When you’re a defensive back, you do a lot of backpedaling and changing direction,” Gruden said. “If your big toe’s not working, it’s going to be very difficult. But we’ll see.”

Wide receiver DeSean Jackson and linebacker Keenan Robinson were the other two Redskins starters who were inactive Sunday because of injury. Gruden said Robinson’s sprained MCL is “a pain tolerance thing” and he will return to the field against the New York Giants with improved flexibility.

The coach was also optimistic that Jackson, the team’s leading receiver, will return to practice Thursday or Friday.

“Hopefully he’ll play this week,” Gruden said. “We miss all our guys that are out. It’s very difficult. You go out and get a high-market free agent like that who can really stretch the field vertically, it hurts when he’s not there.”

NOTE: The Redskins announced that they have signed Rashad Ross to their practice squad, marking his third stint with the team this season.

The 6-foot, 181-pound wide receiver completed training camp with Washington before being waived, then spent more than a month on the practice squad from Oct. 15 to Nov. 17. He also appeared in two games with the Chicago Bears.

The Redskins still have one open spot on their practice squad.