One of the Redskins' team leaders for years now, veteran nose tackle Kedric Golston is making progress from his torn hamstring and hopes to be back in Washington in 2017.

Kedric Golston has worked tirelessly over the years to make himself a solid rotational defensive player on the defensive line. That was expected to continue in 2016, as the 2006 sixth-round pick earned the starting nose tackle position.

But the 33-year-old's 11th NFL season was cut short after just two games, as he suffered a torn hamstring in the first quarter of the Redskins' Week 2 game against the Dallas Cowboys. It was a tough and abrupt ending to the year, but his hope is to return to Washington in 2017.

"Obviously, this is my home, this is my team," Golston said. "What happened to me is unfortunate, but it's part of the game. Any way I could help these guys out, obviously these are brothers of mine. It's good to be back around the guys in the locker room and being able to go into the weight room and sweat and stuff like that. It is what it is, but at the end of the day I want to be back out there playing football."

The Redskins finished the season ranked 28th-overall and had issues at time stopping the run. Golston had to watch from afar as he saw strong performances sometime be offset but difficulties stopping opposing rushers.

"The guys made plays when they needed to, and sometimes we didn't," Golston said. "From a nutshell, that's all this league is about. The games pretty much even, 60 to 65 plays, pretty much even. There's always those four or five plays, if you make the plays you win, and if you don't I don't necessarily think that it's one position group or one call or anything like that. It's just everybody has a hand in the positive things we did and the struggles we had."

Golston was immobile for six weeks following surgery in September, but is on the mend four months after having his hamstring repaired.

"I'm doing well," Golston said. "I'm progressing to where I need to be, feeling like normal most days. …[Football] is what I love to do. As long as my body is well, I'm going to go out there and do it. I have an opportunity, and that's my plan."

If Golston does return to the Redskins next season, he'll join a roster that is seeking a third straight winning season and hopefully a return to playoff football.

The University of Georgia product has been around through Washington's growth stage over the last two seasons and is confident the team will continue to move in the right direction.

 "The players that we have, the mindset that we bring in, we just have to push on," Golston said. "There's not a participation trophy; this is a professional league all about wins and losses, and as an organization we didn't get that done to be where we needed to be as far as the playoffs to have a chance ultimately in the Super Bowl."