Chris Cooley said he’s not worried about the fact that his knee needed to be drained. Again. And he wishes others weren’t as well.
Coach Mike Shanahan disclosed Thursday that Cooley’s knee had been drained. It also had been drained during training camp.
“The fact that it got talked about is what concerns me,” Cooley said. “I could probably do it myself now. It’s not changing the way I play. It’s not all of a sudden worse because that happened.”
But he wishes it hadn’t been mentioned.
“No, because everyone thinks it’s drained, that’s a huge deal,” Cooley said. “No, that’s not a big deal. Guys get things drained all the time.”
Shanahan said “it’s always a concern” when a player has his knee drained.
“When you do have re-occuring problems with your knee it’s never easy,” Cooley said. “But he’s very tough and he’s worked through it and he’s helped our team win.”
Cooley said his knee is fine and that he’s able to manage it well enough to get ready to play. He also said he’s practicing every day, though at times he is limited — as he’s been the past two days.
Cooley is off to an atypical start, with only seven catches for 66 yards. He’s spent two games at fullback, but is playing less than fellow tight end Fred Davis.
“Am I playing the way I’d like to play?” Cooley said. “Probably not. But in my opinion, I’m still playing extremely consistent in the role I’m being asked to play. I can’t be upset about that. This is the best I’ve played on a percentage level at any point in my career.
“I know I’m not adding to [the passing game], but I played fullback – a position I haven’t played – two weeks ago and we rushed for [196] yards. So, yeah, I’m happy with it.”
And he’s confident that he can still make plays for the Redskins. Sunday could be a big day for the tight ends, in both the run and the pass. They’ll have to help slow the Eagles’ ends because of how wide they line up. But the Eagles also have struggled at times vs. the tight ends. Also, they tend to be more aggressive so bootlegs and backside passes to the tight ends could be open.
“I feel confident in my ability to catch and to get down the field,” Cooley said. “Am I going to be a guy that has a 60-yard gain? No. Was I ever? Um, probably not. This is something I’m going to battle through for now. I obviously think it will get better and not be like this forever.”
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