Washington Redskins defensive end Phillip Daniels is being placed on injured reserve with a combination of abdomen, groin and hamstring injuries, coach Mike Shanahan told reporters today at his weekly Monday press conference.
Daniels had been hampered by the stomach/abdomen injury during practice last week but felt good enough to start at right defensive end against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday
Daniels further injured himself during the game, and could not finish the second half.
The 6-foot-5, 302-pound Daniels is in his 15th NFL season and at 37 years of age, he is the Redskins' elder statesman. This is his sixth season in Washington and entering this year, he had started 66 of the 69 games that he had played for the Redskins.
Daniels, also a competitive body builder and one of the strongest Redskins, was switched to a reserve end this season, and Sunday was his first start. In 14 games, Daniels recorded 21 tackles, two sacks and also blocked a field goal attempt.
Shanahan said he wasn’t sure if any of Daniels’ injuries would require surgery, but that trainer Larry Hess had told him that Daniels would be out for more than two weeks, and so the decision was made to put him on IR.
Daniels becomes the 11th Redskin to be placed on injured reserve this season. Last week strong safety LaRon Landry was placed on the season-ending list. Also on IR are running back Clinton Portis (torn abdomen muscle/groin, wide receivers Mike Furrey (concussion) and Malcolm Kelly (hamstring), offensive lineman Clint Oldenburg (ankle), linebacker Robert Henson (knee), running back Chad Simpson (foot) and safeties Chris Horton (ankle) and Anderson Russell (knee).
Shanahan didn’t say if the Redskins would make a move to fill Daniels’ spot on the roster. When Daniels went down, second-year end Jeremy Jarmon and veteran Vonnie Holliday split time at the right end spot. The Redskins last week signed second-year end Jeremy Clark, but he was inactive for Sunday’s game at Dallas.
The Redskins on Sunday also had starting outside linebacker Brian Orakpo, middle linebacker Rocky McIntosh and safety Reed Doughty go down with injuries against the Cowboys.
Orakpo's injury was groin and hamstring related. He said he felt something pull while trying to run down Dallas running back Felix Jones. Shanahan wasn't sure how badly the second-year pro, also the team's leader in sacks, was injured. McIntosh suffered a hamstring strain, and Doughty suffered a concussion. Shanahan said he won't have an idea of whether or not any of those players would be available for this week's game in Jacksonville until later in the week.
