BEREA, Ohio – Braylon Edwards is finally back at home resting. His return to the Cleveland Browns, however, is still uncertain.
The rookie wide receiver was released from the hospital yesterday after a four-day stay at the Cleveland Clinic following surgery to cut out an infection in his right arm. Edwards will miss Sunday’#39;s game at Baltimore, and the first-round draft pick may be sidelined another month while recovering.
Edwards was operated on last Saturday when doctors determined that a cut near his elbow had become infected and needed to be cleaned out. He missed Cleveland’#39;s 20-10 win over Chicago, and may sit out a few more games.
“They did give us a window of probability that he’#39;ll be back in four to six weeks,” said his father, Stan Edwards. “But don’#39;t hold him to that. He’#39;s doing much better, though. This could have been much worse.”
It was not known if Edwards, the No. 3 overall pick in April’#39;s draft, has a staph infection, which could sideline him longer.
Stan Edwards was told that the infection, which necessitated doctors making a long incision along the back of his son’#39;s right arm, had many of the characteristics of staph, a bacterial infection that enters the body through an opening in the skin and can lead to serious health problems.
“The doctors said it had the M.O. of staph, but so far the cultures haven’#39;t grown to show that,” he said.
Browns tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. can relate to Edwards’#39; health ordeal. Winslow, who is out for the season after injuring his knee in a motorcycle accident, recently battled a staph infection that settled into the joint of his right knee.
Winslow was restricted from any physical activity and lost 30 pounds because of the infection, which was treated with intravenous antibiotics for weeks.
“It’#39;s scary,” Winslow said. “Mine was real scary because it was in the joint and that can damage you for your whole career.”
Browns coach Romeo Crennel doesn’#39;t know how Edwards got the infection, which the rookie didn’#39;t bring to the attention of the team’#39;s medical staff until the team’#39;s walkthrough last Saturday at Browns Stadium.
Crennel also is unsure when he’#39;ll have Edwards back. The worse the infection, the longer he’#39;ll be sidelined.
“I think when you consider the infection, you can put two and two together,” Crennel said. “If it’#39;s a major infection, it could take six to eight weeks. If it’#39;s a minor infection, it could take less. Until it’#39;s decided, you really don’#39;t know.”
In the past two years, the Browns have had three players – Edwards, Winslow and linebacker Ben Taylor – succumb to infections.
The NFL is investigating whether the Browns violated league rules by not reporting Edwards’#39; injury until Sunday morning. The league requires teams to immediately notify them if there is any change in a player’#39;s status before a game. In the past, teams have been fined for failing to follow the rules.
Earlier this week, Crennel said his understanding was that the league’#39;s injury report ran only from Wednesday through Friday. Edwards wasn’#39;t admitted to the hospital until Saturday, following the team’#39;s final practice before facing the Bears.
“As I have found out, we were supposed to let the NFL know as soon as we found out,” Crennel said. “We did let the NFL know, but there is some question about whether it was soon enough or not. They are reviewing the incident, and they will make a ruling on it at some point.”
