ASHBURN, Va. -- Washington Redskins receiver Brandon Lloyd broke his collarbone Wednesday and will be sidelined at least six weeks, the latest setback in his disappointing tenure in the nation's capital.
Coach Joe Gibbs said Lloyd was hurt on the last play of practice when he caught a ball in the end zone. There was no other player involved.
"He landed on his shoulder and drove his shoulder into the ground," trainer Bubba Tyer said.
The force of the landing caused a complete break of the clavicle. Lloyd's right shoulder was put in a sling, but he will not require surgery.
Lloyd has caught only two passes for 14 yards this season, having fallen out of favor with the coaches because of his work ethic and lack of productivity. He missed a team meeting two weeks ago and, as punishment, wasn't allowed to travel with the team for the following game against the New York Jets.
The Redskins traded two draft picks to San Francisco for Lloyd last year and signed him to a long-term contract that included $10 million in guaranteed money. He caught only 23 passes for 365 yards last season and lost his starting job to Antwaan Randle El in December.
However, this could have been the very week Lloyd had a chance to redeem himself. Santana Moss is struggling with a bruised right heel that caused him to miss last week's game against the Philadelphia Eagles, and James Thrash was on crutches Wednesday because of a severely sprained ankle.
Thrash is unlikely to play in Sunday's game against the NFC East rival Dallas Cowboys, and Moss' situation doesn't look much better. Moss didn't even bother trying to put his right shoe on completely as he left the locker room before Wednesday's walkthrough.
"We're working like crazy to get the swelling out of his heel so we can get him back on the field," Tyer said.
With seven games to go in the regular season, the Redskins will have to decide whether to place Lloyd on injured reserve and sign another receiver. Coincidentally, the team added receiver Burl Toler to the practice squad Wednesday, replacing offensive lineman Calvin Armstrong.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
