Stephen Bowen Placed on Injured Reserve, Will Have Surgery

Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan announced Tuesday that defensive end Stephen Bowen is done for the season after being placed on injured reserve.

Bowen finishes the season with 29 tackles, three for a loss, 14 quarterback hits and two passes defensed, all leading numbers among defensive ends.

He injured the posterior collateral ligament (PCL) in his right knee and needs surgery. Bowen was able to play through the injury until he aggravated it in last Sunday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

He was held out of practice until Saturday, when he practiced in a limited fashion. He was inactive for Monday Night’s game and Shanahan made the announcement at his Tuesday afternoon press conference.

“With Stephen Bowen, unfortunately there was cartilage [damage],” he said. “[Surgeons] are going to go in sometime next week after Thanksgiving. They’re going to take a look at it and there’s a possible microfracture with it when they look at the cartilage. He’ll be out for the remainder of the season, and if he does have a microfracture, as they think it might be, that’s about a six-month recovery.”

“It’s in his best interests for playing [in the future] that he gets it operated on,” Shanahan explained. “Obviously, any time you lose a guy like Stephen, it’s a blow to your football team, but everybody is going to lose players in the National Football League and it’s the next guy up.”

“Stephen has meant a lot to our football team,” Shanahan continued. “He does mean a lot to our football team. It’s always hard to lose a guy not only with his play, but with his character, but other guys will get an opportunity [to step up].”

In other news, the Redskins moved wide receiver Josh Bellamy from the practice squad to the active 53-man roster and released cornerback Jerome Murphy. Bellamy, who was signed to the Redskins practice squad on Nov. 21, 2013, played with Kansas City in the preseason.

Cornerback Peyton Thompson, who spent the entire 2012 season on the Atlanta Falcons practice squad was added to the practice squad. Thompson played collegiately at San Jose State, where he compiled 186 tackles (125 solo), 10.5 tackles for loss, seven interceptions, one sack, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and 22 passes defensed in four seasons.