Carrier was eligible to begin practicing this week as part of a 21-day window after being placed on the physically unable to perform list to start the season, which forced him to sit out the first six weeks. There was an expectation at the start of the week that it was possible, but it didn’t happen.

“Everything has been going good as far as the rehab process,” Carrier said. “Right now, it’s just kind of tampering everything off and making sure everything feels good and be ready if my number is called.”

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The fourth-year player was ahead of schedule earlier in the offseason but had a setback because he was pushing himself too hard. Carrier dealt with tendinitis through offseason workouts and training camp. He said that while typically it isn’t an issue to work through tendinitis, the issue flared up to the point where it prohibited him from participating in certain aspects of his rehab program.

Carrier, who was acquired in August 2015 via a trade with the San Francisco 49ers because of injuries to Niles Paul and Logan Paulsen, trained once or twice a week during training camp as a result, using the downtime to rehab and rest his knee. He also took two weeks off at the start of the season, which he felt helped resolve the problem.

Carrier ran sprints Wednesday but wasn’t out on the field Thursday or Friday. He said he typically run routes every 10 yards to build his endurance but hasn’t yet had a chance to incorporate physical contact.

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“It’s funny because, yeah, you go out there and run and feel good,” Carrier said. “But really when you get into practicing and get into games, it’s a completely different level of intensity and something that’s hard to replicate out on the practice field by yourself. That’s something in practice you can kind of tackle by having someone lined up against you in team drills.”

The team will have 21 days to decide whether to activate Carrier. If Washington doesn’t do so by the deadline, Carrier would remain on the PUP list for the rest of the year. The Redskins have three tight ends on the roster but will have only two active Sunday against the Detroit Lions, with Jordan Reed missing his second game because of a concussion. Redskins Coach Jay Gruden said Carrier is close, and he does find value in having four tight ends on the 53-man roster.

“Well, we’ve got to get him healthy first and then see where we’re at,” Gruden said. “We love our three tight ends without a doubt right now. See how Jordan’s doing. Last week we played with two, which is a little scary, but obviously Ty Nsekhe can play tight end in some cases. But I think there will be a spot for [Carrier] when he gets healthy. Eventually we can carry four very easily.”

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In the meantime, Carrier hopes his opportunity to strap on the pads happens sooner rather than later. He’s learned to be patient throughout the process, but he’s ready to do something other than conditioning for a change.