Stephen Bowen was moved from the physically-unable-to-perform list to the 53-man active roster on Saturday, freeing him to make his season debut on Sunday when the Washington Redskins host Tennessee.
Bowen underwent microfracture surgery to repair the cartilage in his right knee on Dec. 3 and was eligible to return to practice on Wednesday. To make room for Bowen on the active roster, the Redskins put inside linebacker Akeem Jordan on injured reserve.
The 6-foot-5, 300-pound Bowen, 30, has not played in a game since Week 11 of last season, when the Redskins lost at Philadelphia. He tore the PCL in that knee roughly a month earlier, and after he continued to experience inflammation in the knee, an examination showed that he had torn the cartilage as well.
“I was on crutches for six weeks [following the surgery],” Bowen said Friday. “When I got off the crutches, I couldn’t even hardly walk. My leg was so weak. You know, a lot of people that had the injury, they told me that out of nowhere, I’m gonna start feeling better, and that’s what happened — just one day [during training camp], I started feeling better.”
Bowen is unlikely to start for the Redskins on Sunday, but said he expects to play approximately 20 snaps against the Titans as a reserve. Jason Hatcher, Bowen’s former teammate in Dallas and a close friend, has assumed Bowen’s role as Washington’s starting right defensive end.
Jordan played two games for the Redskins and recently was bothered by swelling in his sprained left knee.
Wide receiver Leonard Hankerson, who has also been on the PUP list, was not moved to the active roster on Saturday and thus will be unable to play Sunday. Coach Jay Gruden said Friday that Hankerson, who is recovering from surgery to repair a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee, likely needs another week or two of practice before the Redskins feel comfortable allowing him to play in a game.
• Zac Boyer can be reached at zboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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