Will Redskins put Cooley on IR?

Washington Redskins tight end Chris Cooley hopes to play again this year but knows injuries could create a shortage of roster spots and end his season.

Cooley hobbled around Redskin Park on Wednesday on crutches. A cast remains on his right ankle, which was repaired with three screws Oct. 27 after he injured it in a loss to Philadelphia the night before.

“The tough decision ends up being on our organization in the next couple weeks of keeping a spot for me over that amount of time and taking the risk of whether I’ll be able to play or not,” he said. “If my ankle feels good, I’m going to play. It doesn’t matter what we’re doing as far as the team.”

Cooley remains on the 53-man roster. If he’s placed on injured reserve, he can’t return to the field this season even if he’s healthy. The best-case scenario for Cooley, who is slated to be re-examined Monday, is to miss only three games and return Nov. 29 at Philadelphia.

The surgery was the second in Cooley’s life but the first that required anesthesia. He will miss his first NFL game Sunday when the Redskins visit Atlanta, but he plans to travel with the team.

“I think it will be hard to watch,” he said. “I’ll be a part of the team as much as I can and go out and mess around before the game on the field. It’s not really an option of whether I could or could not play. It takes all the decision out of it.”

Second-year player Fred Davis is slated to start in Cooley’s place. Cooley said he planned to look at recent Atlanta game tapes to give Davis a feel for what to expect.

Cooley was injured when he tried to change direction, but he did not blame the playing surface, which was installed at FedEx Field in early October.

“I just planted and it popped,” he said. “We’ve watched it a few times, and it looks like a bad angle.”

Even if the Redskins continue to fall out of playoff contention, Cooley said he intends to return if he can.

“I would like to play if my ankle feels good,” he said. “Either way, I want to be back.”