Browns lose Winslow for '05 season
Thursday, May 19, 2005 Tony Grossi
Plain Dealer Reporter
Browns tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. will need reconstructive surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee as a result of his motorcycle accident and will miss the entire 2005 season, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
The Browns and the Winslow family learned the extent of damage to the knee on Wednesday, but neither the team nor the family would comment.
The source said the result of a magnetic resonance imaging test on the knee performed on Tuesday showed "what everyone feared."
Only the ACL -- the major ligament of four in the knee -- was torn.
Players generally need 10 to 12 months to rehabilitate from major ACL surgery. Safety Sean Jones had ACL surgery in June and missed the entire 2004 season.
Winslow is expected to have an independent exam done on the knee for a second opinion. Surgery could be scheduled within a month.
After consultation with Kellen Winslow Sr., the Browns issued only the following statement: "The Winslow family has not authorized us to release any information on Kellen's condition."
Winslow injured his right knee when he flipped over the handlebars of his high-powered motorcycle in a secluded parking lot on May 1.
Winslow also suffered undisclosed internal injuries and swelling in his right shoulder in the spill, but the Browns identified the knee as the major area of concern.
Severe swelling in the knee prevented doctors from doing a thorough examination of the knee until 16 days after the accident.
Technically, the Browns do not have to disclose the extent of Winslow's injuries until he fails a physical administered by the club or is put on an injury list because they were not football-related.
The Browns may elect to recoup between $5.7 million and $10.7 million from Winslow for being in breach of his contract, which expressly prohibited him from participating in "hazardous activities," such as "motorcycling."
The Browns gave up their second-round draft pick in a trade with Detroit to select Winslow with the sixth overall pick of the 2004 draft. He agreed to a six-year contract for a maximum of $40 million after missing 12 days of training camp.
Winslow's rookie season ended after two weeks when he suffered a fractured right fibula and torn ankle ligaments in his second game. He had two surgeries to repair the damage. The lost time cost Winslow more than $10 million when he failed to reach playing incentives that had to be met in his first season.
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