Another Redskins running back will head to IR. Rob Kelley will join Derrius Guice and Byron Marshall on the team’s injured reserve list, with a toe injury set to shelve the third-year back for at least two months, John Keim of ESPN.com tweets.
Kelley was set to miss around a month of action because of this malady, per Jay Gruden (via Keim, on Twitter), and the Redskins decided to save a roster spot. Kelley, whom Gruden said might need surgery, will not be eligible to return to action for eight weeks.
Samaje Perine will now be Washington’s third active running back on game day, Keim adds, joining Chris Thompson and the resurgent Adrian Peterson. Kelley and Perine were set to be Washington’s top two backs, but Peterson’s August workout changed those plans. Kelley has received just four carries this season, gaining eight yards.
As a rookie, Kelley broke out and became the leading rusher for the playoff-contending Redskins. He amassed 704 rushing yards and six touchdowns. He was not as prominent of a backfield fixture last season, though, and saw the late-arriving Peterson usurp his potential 2018 role.