Redskins kick returner Brandon Banks remained in a D.C. hospital Tuesday as he continues to be treated for a stab wound sustained in an altercation outside an upscale nightclub, *The Washington Post* reported Tuesday.
Banks' agent, James Gould, said the 23-year-old had a tube inserted into his chest to aid his recovery. Redskins athletic trainer Larry Hess relayed through team spokesman Tony Wyllie that the tube was inserted to prevent Banks' left lung from collapsing.
Banks' close friend, Christopher Nixon, also was injured in the attack and remains hospitalized with stab wounds to his face and upper body, according to a police report filed in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia Criminal Division.
Banks' injuries appear to be more serious than initially indicated by Gould, who said Saturday that his client's wounds were "superficial" and a hospital stay would be brief. The Post reported that Wyllie expressed surprise when told of the more serious turn to Banks' treatment.
"He has a knife wound and a tube in his chest," Gould said. "And with that tube, he's had repeated X-rays. I do know that (Tuesday's) X-rays were good, so I'd expect him to be released very soon. There's no sense in rushing. Taking all of the necessary precautions is very important because knife wounds are dangerous. He was knifed in the chest."
Gould painted a picture that Banks remains on the road to a complete and speedy recovery, but he didn't provide any timetable for his client's release from the hospital.
"He's in good medical hands, and we're all anxious for him to get out and resume his life and his football career," Gould said. "We know for sure that when he leaves the hospital -- whenever he leaves -- he will be 100 percent."
The apparent disconnect between player and team likely has something to do with the silent front being projected by those closest to Banks. Two sources familiar with the situation, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told The Post that Banks' family was reluctant to release much information on the injury.
The stabbing occurred shortly after 3 a.m. Saturday outside The Park at 14th, an upscale nightclub.
According to D.C. police, a man got into a verbal altercation with two others, then pulled a knife and stabbed them.
The suspect -- Jason Shorter, 24, of Lanham, Md. -- was arrested at the scene and has been charged with assault with a dangerous weapon. He has been released but remains under supervision, according to police.
The police report stated that, according to footage from a surveillance camera outside the building, Nixon and a man identified as Shorter "engaged in a verbal altercation in front of the nightclub." The argument "turned physical," it said.
Shorter "briefly argued with (Nixon and Banks), then pulled a knife from his pocket, opened it and armed himself by holding the knife behind his back," the police report said. Nixon "then struck (Shorter) with his fist."
The report stated that Banks was stabbed in the upper left abdomen. He revealed the injury to police at the scene before being transferred to the hospital.
"Brandon is a victim in the case, and the investigation is ongoing," Gould said. "Brandon is not implicated in any wrongdoing."
At 12:43 a.m., before the incident, Banks tweeted, "Park gonna b to much for me tonight."
Banks, an undrafted rookie out of Kansas State last season, returned a punt 53 yards the first time he touched the ball in an NFL game. He also recorded a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. He is the lightest player in the NFL -- listed at 5-foot-7, 150 pounds.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
