Clinton Portis Out For Season - Questions Logic Of Preseason - Miami Herald

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Portis out rest of preseason
From Miami Herald Wire Services

Washington running back Clinton Portis is out for the remainder of the preseason and his status for the Redskins' opener was uncertain Monday, one day after he partially dislocated his shoulder in an exhibition game.

Portis flew to Alabama for another MRI exam and further examination of his right shoulder.



Coach Joe Gibbs said Portis' shoulder was sore, and that the back, who ran for a club-record 1,516 yards last season, would begin rehabilitation once the soreness has abated. The coach essentially ruled out the possibility of Portis playing again in the preseason and instead focused on the Sept. 11 game against Minnesota.

Gibbs also defended the use of Portis and his starters against the Bengals.

After the game and again Monday, Portis questioned why he should have been playing in the first preseason game. The starting offense was on the field for 13 plays.

''If you back off that, you hurt the preparation for your team,'' Gibbs said. ``It's the toughest thing in football. It's a balancing act.''

Portis was hurt when he launched himself into an upper body tackle of Keiwan Ratliff, who had run 52 yards down the sideline after picking off a pass from Mark Brunell.

After the game, Portis criticized the NFL's preseason. Portis said that four exhibition games were too many and that if there's one good thing to come out of his injury, it's that it ought to keep him sidelined until the regular season.