Running back Clinton Portis has been ruled out for this Sunday's season finale against the Minnesota Vikings due to a torn tendon in the pectoral muscle near his sternum, team officials said. Portis suffered the injury in the second half of the Redskins' 13-10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday afternoon.
Meantime, linebacker LaVar Arrington and cornerback Fred Smoot are uncertain for Sunday's game.
Smoot suffered a bruised kidney while assisting on a tackle in the third quarter. He was carted off the field and stayed overnight at a Dallas hospital.
Head coach Joe Gibbs was somewhat optimistic about Smoot's condition on Monday.
"We're excited about Fred because we think he's in good shape," Gibbs said. "Last night we were concerned when he went to the hospital. He has a bruise there of his kidney, but [team doctors] actually haven't ruled him out playing this week. So we'll see."
Arrington reported some knee soreness following the Cowboys game and his condition was being reevaluated by team doctors on Monday. The three-time Pro Bowl linebacker has missed 11 games this season after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery on Sept. 24.
Backup cornerback Ade Jimoh is also unlikely to play against the Vikings. Jimoh suffered a sprained ankle on a special teams play during the Cowboys game.
Regarding Portis, if his injury had occurred earlier in the regular season, he would likely have been forced to miss several weeks. It is expected that Portis and Jimoh will be placed on injured reserve sometime this week, essentially deactivating them for Sunday's finale against the Vikings and opening up additional roster spots.
Heading into Sunday's season finale, Portis had been on the verge of breaking two all-time team rushing marks.
Portis rushed for 32 yards on 10 carries against Dallas. He finished his 2004 campaign with 1,315 rushing yards, the fifth-most by a Redskins running back in a season. Stephen Davis set the team mark in 1999 with 1,432 rushing yards.
Also, Portis's 343 carries this season is the fourth most by a Redskin in one season. In 1983, Hall of Fame running back John Riggins logged 375 carries, the most ever by a Redskins running back.
Even though the Redskins have been eliminated from the playoffs, Gibbs plans to play most of his usual starters instead of getting an extended look at younger players.
"We're going to try to win the ballgame," Gibbs said. "Some of those young guys are going to get an opportunity anyway. But our deal is we always try to win every single game, even if we were ahead in the playoffs."
