Washington Loses Chris Cooley for 2011: Injury Update

The injury woes are only getting worse for the Washington Redskins. The team recently added tight end Chris Cooley(notes) to the list of players that will miss the rest of the season. The Redskins placed Cooley on the injured reserve list as a result of a combination of injuries. Cooley suffered a broken finger on October 16 against the Philadelphia Eagles. That, combine with complications from a knee injury, led the Redskins to put an end to his 2011 season. It could also cast doubt over his future with the team. For now, the Cooley injury is the latest bad news for a team that looked like a playoff contender after the first month of the season.

Cooley had a knee operation at the end of the 2010 season even though he didn't miss any games. Apparently, the team felt he didn't fully recover. That seems to be the main reason behind shutting him down for the season. The broken finger would have probably kept him out for three or four weeks. But the knee issues will take longer to recover. There is a chance the problems could linger long enough to spoil his career. Cooley will be 30 by the time the 2012 season starts. He is under contract with the Redskins but the team might choose to cut him given his salary issues. That would be a sad end for a guy that was pretty well liked by Washington fans.

Cooley's loss might not be that bad for Washington in 2011. He was having one of his worst NFL seasons, grabbing just eight catches. That dip in production has opened the door for Fred Davis. Davis has caught 28 passes for two touchdowns. He has not only emerged as the top tight end but perhaps the top receiving threat on the team, especially with Santana Moss(notes) expected to miss more than a month. The rise of Davis should dull Cooley's loss for Washington. Unfortunately for him, it only adds to his expendability in the offseason.

Even though Washington has depth with Davis, they will miss Cooley as a leader. His loss, along with the loss of Tim Hightower(notes), takes even more away from inexperienced quarterback John Beck(notes). The Redskins are now 3-3 after a 3-1 start. It looks like the slide will only get worse as the season progresses.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.