The Washington Redskins had every reason to take it slow with DeSean Jackson after the wide receiver strained his hamstring during the first week of organized team activities. After sitting out last week’s sessions, he was back on the field Wednesday.
“He feels good running straight,” said coach Jay Gruden. “It’s just sometimes coming out of cuts a little bit he’s still a little bit tentative and we’re just watching him. But he looked good obviously. Once he got clearance from [trainer] Larry [Hess] and he felt good about it, he was out there running and it’s good to see him out there push it a little bit for the team and everybody else. But he did a good job today. He’s still not probably 100 percent, he’s probably working through a little bit of pain just a little bit.”
Jackson certainly looked 100 percent as he practiced Wednesday. He ran one especially eye-catching route against rookie corner Bashaud Breeland down the left sideline. Breeland had near-perfect coverage, but Jackson managed to find his way underneath and snatch away the ball.
Other bumps and bruises to keep an eye on this week include an injury to DeAngelo Hall’s chin, which he sustained at practice Tuesday, and the ongoing issues with Leonard Hankerson’s knee.
Gruden seemed unconcerned with Hall’s injury and intimated he will be back in action soon.
“He got dinged up a little bit yesterday but he’s OK,” Gruden said “He just went back to Atlanta for the night. You know he’s a cagey veteran. He felt he wanted to be with his family today, so I let him off. He’s a little bit dinged up with his chin, hurt his chin a little bit yesterday, but he’ll be okay. “
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Hankerson’s injury however is an ongoing issue and there seems to be no real timeline for his return.
“Different guys handle it [differently] at different positions and the rehab could be longer for certain guys, so we’ll wait and see,” said Gruden. “He’s working very hard, I know that. He’s in there with Larry [Hess] every day and they’re working extremely hard to get right.”
Hankerson is eager to get back on the field but knows that patience is the key to a full recovery.
“That’s a tough injury,” said Hankerson “I’ve just got to work and keep doing what I’ve been doing, you know. It’s bad timing. Timing is everything. The main thing is being healthy, and when it happens it happens. When I’m out there, I’ll be ready.”
On the plus side, there are no worries about quarterback Robert Griffin III this time around.
Throughout the non-mandatory practice sessions Griffin has looked like the quarterback Washington fans saw in his rookie season with the team. Working without a brace, he dropped in the pocket, stepped up, fired with all his weight on his back foot and scrambled like there had never been anything wrong with his knee.
“Like I said you deal with the hand that you’re dealt,” said Griffin. “I had to wear the brace last year, had to come off an injury last year and this year I don’t — and I thank God for that — and [now I] play to that hand.”
• Paul St. Jean can be reached at pstjean@washingtontimes.com.
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