BEREA — Kellen Winslow was back where he belongs Friday morning.
He dressed in the locker room with his teammates — full pads, as usual — lined up at tight end with the first-team offense and caught a pass down the seam from Derek Anderson. After missing his first game after 36 straight and spending three nights in the Cleveland Clinic, Winslow returned to practice in a limited role and was listed as questionable on the official injury report.
He said he thinks he’ll be able to play Sunday against the Redskins, but wasn’t making any guarantees.
“It’s not for sure I’m going to play this game,” he said. “So I’m going to do the best I can and I’m going to tough it out.
“I feel OK. I just have to get in the swing of things and get as ready as I can.”
Winslow wouldn’t reveal the nature of the undisclosed illness and wouldn’t confirm an Internet rumor that he was treated for an infection.
“It was really the Cleveland Browns’ decision to keep it undisclosed,” he said. “I agree with that. Just ’cause I play professional football and catch a football doesn’t mean I should let people into my personal business.
“I’m back and I’m happy to be back. I think I’m good to go.”
Winslow hadn’t been through a normal practice since Sept. 26, the Friday before the Bengals game. He rested his surgically repaired knee during the bye week, then suffered the illness Oct. 8.
Winslow missed the 2005 season after a motorcycle accident that left him with a serious knee injury. He developed a staph infection, had multiple knee surgeries and remains bothered by the pain. He also had an injured shoulder for most of last year.
But until Monday night, he hadn’t missed a game since returning for the 2006 opener.
“It was a little tough, because everything was going right and it looked so much fun to be out there,” he said of the 35-14 win. “Not to be with my teammates was real hard and we played so well, it was hard not to be out there.”
Winslow sounded disheartened when asked if the circumstances around his recent hospital stay were scary.
“I’ve been through it,” he said. “It’s hard to say, but I’m used to it.”
He said he didn’t lose any weight last week and is used to playing through pain.
“I told you I’m a soldier, man,” he said with a laugh, referring to a criticized rant he made during college. “I can joke about it now.
“It’s just playing football, so you’re going to have to deal with pain. This league is what have you done for me lately and I just enjoy being on the field.”
Winslow went to the Pro Bowl last season after catching 82 passes for 1,106 yards and five touchdowns. He leads the Browns with 19 catches this year, with 170 yards and a touchdown.
He returned to the building Thursday, attended meetings and was able to cite some Redskins defensive tendencies.
“He has been getting the material and has been able to review and look at those things on his own,” offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski said. “We are trying to keep him up to speed that way.”
Chudzinski said there are parts of the game plan that would change depending on Winslow’s status. Without him Monday night, backup Steve Heiden caught five passes for 59 yards and third-stringer Darnell Dinkins caught a 22-yard touchdown.
“Our offense is much better with Kellen in it,” Dinkins said.
“He’s a great teammate,” Heiden said of Winslow. “He prepares hard. People don’t see how hard he works in practice.”
Contact Scott Petrak at 329-7253 or spetrak@chroniclet.com.

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