It can always be worse.
That's the way Browns rookie wide receiver Corey Coleman has approached a broken hand that's finally on the verge of healing.
"It was really, really tough at the beginning. Everything happens for a reason and I think it could always be worse so I just have to roll with the punches," Coleman said Thursday. "It's been a long time but I'm finally getting healthy, I'm back on the field — back there on the practice field — it feels amazing being out there with the guys, the amount of energy they have and me being able to actually to go through drills with them. You just don't take anything for granted."
It's a big moment for Coleman, who hasn't played since Week 2 against the Ravens after suffering the injury in practice last month.
"It was heartbreaking when they told me. At the time, I didn't really want to believe it because I broke it and I kept on practicing so I wasn't trying to hear what the trainers were trying to tell me," he said.
"I was like, 'I'm fine, I can play. It's just a little pain,' but they made the best decision for me and now I look at it, they were looking out for me. I'm just so excited to get on the field."
It's also big news for the Browns, who have been dealt an array of injuries to key players on both sides of the ball. Cleveland also saw veteran quarterback Josh McCown cleared to play after suffering a shoulder/collarbone injury against Baltimore.
While head coach Hue Jackson said it's unlikely Coleman will be cleared before Sunday's game against the Jets, it's been good to watch the former Baylor standout back on the practice field.
"He is getting closer," Jackson said. "He ran around, did some things, had shoulder pads on and doing a little football … It is good just to have him out there running around again and being with his teammates."
Before his injury, Coleman caught seven passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns in two games, including a breakout performance against the Ravens in which he snagged five passes for 104 yards.
It was the kind of performance reflective of a training camp in which Coleman shined until a hamstring injury limited him during the preseason.
"I felt like myself. I'm out there comfortable," Coleman said of the Ravens game.
"I put in extra time just studying everything so I just felt comfortable and I trusted the quarterback and Josh did an amazing job. There's still stuff I didn't do perfect, but Josh made me look good."
And as the Browns look to shake off a frustrating 0-7 start, Coleman could offer Cleveland and its shorthanded offense a lift.
"That's why they drafted me here. They drafted me here to help win football games," he said.
"I was just so disappointed because I couldn't get on the field playing with the guys. I was just really, you know, heartbroken because I come in as a rookie and you get drafted to Cleveland to try and help them and then I get hurt and it's like, 'Oh man, he's hurt.' You can't do anything when you're hurt, you can't even attempt to do anything when you're hurt.
"But I have to look at it as don't take anything for granted because this game can be taken from you. So that's why I say it can always be worse. I'm ready to be back."
