ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Bills receiver James Hardy was eager to finally start practicing with his teammates Wednesday for the first time in 10 months. Now he's got three weeks to show his surgically repaired left knee is strong enough for him to resume playing.
That's the timetable the second-year player faces after spending the first six weeks of the season on the reserve/physically unable to perform list. Under NFL rules, Hardy was eligible to begin practicing this week, and the Bills have 21 days to determine whether to activate Hardy or place him on the injured reserve list, ending his season.
"I feel that I'm ready to go," Hardy said, noting that he's still needs some conditioning. "Yeah there was a lot of huffing and puffing just because I've not been able to go out there. But it'll come soon."
Hardy has been out since tearing a knee ligament in a 31-27 loss to the New York Jets in December. It was a dreadful end to a tough season in which the second-round draft pick out of Indiana finished with nine catches for 87 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games.
Hardy said he still feels a little soreness in his knee, but it's something doctors have told him to expect. He showed no lingering effects of the injury during individual drills, when he burst off the line at full speed and made a sharp cut over the middle to catch a pass.
"Mentally, I'm ready. I can handle the soreness," he said. "I don't have any fears. I just say my prayers before I go out there and let it all hang out. That's my mind-frame."
Coach Dick Jauron was encouraged by what he saw from Hardy, but said it's too early to determine his playing status.
"It's not going to be this week. Hopefully, that doesn't disappoint him, but I think that would be a little careless," Jauron said. "The young man's worked awfully hard to come back, so we're excited to have him. And now the clock is running. We've got those 21 days to see where that goes."
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
