Redskins Injuries: Rob Kelley's MRI Comes Back Clean
The Washington Redskins got some good news on Sunday afternoon after Rob Kelley had an MRI on his knee. It came back clean, and he should be good to go for Week 17.
In the Washington Redskins Week 16 victory over the Chicago Bears, they got a little bit of a scare. The team saw their workhorse running back Rob Kelley go down with an injury in the second half. He left the game briefly and returned. However, he split carries down the stretch to ensure that he could stay healthy.
With the news about the clean MRI, it now is clear that Kelley was just limited for precautionary reasons. Both Jay Gruden and Kelley had confirmed that in normal circumstances, Kelley could have kept going. However, due to the fact that the contest was virtually wrapped up, the coaching staff decided to sit him. Gruden had this to say about the decision, per ESPN’s John Keim.
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[Robert Kelley] could have kept going. He wanted to keep going, but I wanted to see Mack Brown. Robert is a tough guy. He didn’t want to come out, but you could see he was in pain.
This was most definitely a smart move by Gruden. The Redskins could ill afford to lose Kelley to any sort of injury. Though the injury ended up just being a sprain, it is always better to be safe than sorry. The last thing that the Redskins need in their Week 17 matchup with the Giants is to use Matt Jones, Mack Brown, or Chris Thompson as their primary back.
Heading into the final week of the season, expect Kelley to see rest in the first couple practices of the week. He may log a limited practice at some point early in the week, but the coaching staff is likely to be extremely cautious in their approach. They have an extra day off to heal, so there is no need to rush Kelley back. So long as he is ready for New Year’s Day, that is all the team will care about.
