After spending the first nine weeks of the season on the physically-unable-to-perform list, Leonard Hankerson was added to the Washington Redskins’ 53-man roster on Tuesday, making him eligible to play in their next game, Nov. 16, against Tampa Bay.
Hankerson, in his fourth season, will have missed nearly an entire year after tearing the ACL and LCL in his left knee. The wide receiver injured the knee in a game against San Francisco on Nov. 17, 2013 and underwent surgery four days later.
“I mean, nothing changes,” Hankerson said. “I’m still going to do the same thing — go to practice, work hard each and every day, compete and do what I’ve got to do and control what I can.”
The Redskins faced a Tuesday deadline to activate Hankerson, keep him on the PUP list — which would leave him inactive for the final seven games of the season — or release him. He returned to practice for the first time since the injury on Oct. 15.
With the addition of Hankerson, the Redskins waived cornerback Chase Minnifield, who was signed off their practice squad on Sept. 22 when DeAngelo Hall was placed on injured reserve. Undrafted out of Virginia in 2012, Minnifield played just 15 defensive snaps over six games and was solely used on special teams in each of the last three games.
It’s possible Minnifield could be signed to the Redskins’ practice squad should he clear waivers. Washington currently has three vacancies on its practice squad, having also released offensive tackle Terren Jones on Tuesday.
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• Zac Boyer can be reached at zboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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