Another setback for Baxter

08.05.2008

Gary Baxter's inspirational comeback attempt has hit a bump in the road.

Baxter had arthroscopic surgery to remove loose cartilage from his knee on Tuesday. He's been practicing with the Browns and attempting to make an unprecedented comeback after tearing both patella tendons while breaking up a pass in 2006.

Baxter had been missing from practice over the last several days, and Browns coach Romeo Crennel said he learned today that Baxter would need another surgery.

"This cartilage thing is going to slow him down a little bit and he's disappointed about it," Crennel said. "But he's matured quite a bit and he'll be able to handle it. If he can handle two patella tendons on the same play, he can handle a piece of cartilage that they take out of the knee."

Crennel said he was impressed enough with the work Baxter has done in even getting this far that he's used Baxter as an inspiration for the rest of the team. Baxter was covering Brad Cieslak over the middle last week when he broke on a Brady Quinn pass and swatted it to the ground.

"I showed that play to the team that night," Crennel said. "I thought that was meaningful. It was two years since he got his hands on that ball that he'd been in a competitive situation.

"I think the guys in the room understood why I showed that play. They're pulling for him just like he's pulling for himself. That was just a good play to show."

Baxter obviously won't play in Thursday's preseason opener against the Jets, and Crennel said it's unclear what Baxter's next step will be.

"He'll do (well with his rehab) and we'll see where that leads us as far as he's concerned," Crennel said. "Gary wants to play. He will evaluate it and sometime after the surgery he'll evaluate it and make a decision on what he wants to do."