Wednesday, August 15
George shows no ill effects from tendinitis



Redskins quarterback Jeff George threw a football for the first time in 10 days, tossing 30 or so soft passes about 15 yards. He said he felt no ill effects from the tendinitis that has bothered his shoulder for 2 1/2 weeks, and that he hoped to be throwing at normal speed by Tuesday.

Jeff George
George

"It doesn't sound like a lot, but it really was," George said. "It was a big step. I wanted to see if there was any pain in there at all, and there wasn't."

Todd Husak, another Redskins quarterback, showed remarkable improvement in just 24 hours, throwing a few passes in both practices despite his strained rib muscle. Husak, realizing he would be the one on the bubble if the Redskins sign another quarterback, has doggedly worked his way back into a chance of starting Friday's exhibition game against Atlanta.

"He's a tough guy," coach Marty Schottenheimer said. "He wants to play."

Schottenheimer said he will leave it up to the trainers, not Husak, as to whether the second-year quarterback plays Friday.

Rookie quarterback Sage Rosenfels, who struggled in practice Wednesday, walked off the field saying, "I would like to have hit a few more throws." Undrafted rookie Mike Watkins worked with the second string. Even so, Schottenheimer said the quarterbacking was not compromising practice.

"In the perfect situation, you throw it and it never touches the ground," Schottenheimer said. "We've got to be patient with young players."

Unless Husak can play, Rosenfels will start and play three quarters Friday night. Watkins will play the fourth.

Schottenheimer, hoping to sign a veteran backup, prepared to schedule a workout for Tony Banks, released Tuesday by the Dallas Cowboys. The coach said Banks and Danny Kanell, who has had a workout, were the only quarterbacks currently under consideration.

"We have to continue to explore of the possibility of another quarterback," Schottenheimer said. "We don't want to go down this road much further until we're sure that Jeff's going to be OK."

The problem with George's injury is that tendinitis can linger, perhaps for an entire season. Husak is inexperienced and did not play well in the exhibition opener at Kansas City, prompting the search for a healthy veteran.

Any quarterback that is signed will not have time to learn the offense and play in Friday's game, which is shaping up to be an offensive disaster. The Redskins generated just 99 yards of total offense against the Chiefs, and they're not getting any kind of rhythm from this week's practices.

"All these young players have to go through a learning process," Schottenheimer said. "And it can be painful."




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