The Washington Redskins have placed running back Derrius Guice (knee) and defensive lineman Caleb Brantley (foot) on Injured Reserve, the team announced Friday.
Corresponding moves include promoting wide receiver Robert Davis to the active roster, signing corner Aaron Colvin and adding corner Deion Harris to the practice squad.
On Thursday, head coach Jay Gruden said Guice underwent a "small procedure" on his knee, which he injured in the Redskins' season-opening loss in Philadelphia. Guice, who rushed 10 times for 18 yards in Week 1, had his right knee checked out by the trainers during the game before being cleared to return. However, Guice still felt sore on the bus after the game, prompting further evaluation.
Last preseason, Guice tore his ACL in his left knee, which robbed him of his entire rookie campaign.
"I don't have a concern with [Guice] getting back to full strength," Gruden said. "He came back extremely strong with the much more damaged knee last time. This is a minor procedure from what I've been told and he will be back. Great kid, works extremely hard, and eventually he's going to show Redskins nation what he's all about."
Meanwhile, Brantley's foot issues date back to the beginning of training camp in early August, when the third-year defensive lineman missed practice time with what Gruden classified as a mild Lisfranc injury. After sitting out the preseason games, Brantley suited up in the regular season opener but played just eight snaps before re-aggravating his foot.
Per NFL rules, players placed on IR are able to return to the active roster after eight weeks. This means the Redskins could activate Guice and Brantley during their bye week in Week 10. Both players would then be able to play the next week against the New York Jets on Nov. 17. Teams are only able to bring two players off IR per year.
In Guice's absence, veteran Adrian Peterson will serve as the team's starting running back, with Chris Thompson playing primarily on passing downs and waiver pickup Wendell Smallwood assisting mostly on special teams. Peterson, who was inactive in Week 1, rushed for more than 1,000 yards in Washington last season.
The defensive line should still be formidable without Brantley, though the Redskins will also be without Jonathan Allen (knee) for Sunday's home opener against the Dallas Cowboys. In their absences, 2018 fifth-round pick Tim Settle will likely make his first-career start. Recent signees Treyvon Hester and T.Y. McGill should also received increased workloads.
