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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 9:49 a.m., Tuesday, December 2, 2008

NFL: Browns' QB Quinn to have surgery

By TOM WITHERS
AP Sports Writer

CLEVELAND — Brady Quinn has decided to get his fractured finger fixed.

After weighing his options over the past week, Cleveland's quarterback has elected to have surgery on his right index finger, which he initially broke on Nov. 17 at Buffalo and then made worse by playing in the Browns' game a week later against Houston.

The team said that Quinn's operation will be performed on Wednesday in Birmingham, Ala., by hand specialist Dr. Thomas Hunt. The procedure, which will likely involve a pin being inserted in Quinn's finger to stabilize the bone and damaged tendon, will require up to 10 weeks of recovery time.

In his second career start, Quinn broke the tip of his finger when he banged it against a Bills defender in the first half of Cleveland's 29-27 win. Although he was given the option of having the operation or rest, Quinn played in a Nov. 23 game against the Texans and sustained further damage to the finger on his throwing hand. He was benched in the third quarter by coach Romeo Crennel after throwing two interceptions.

Quinn later said he had trouble spinning the ball the way he wanted to because of the injury.

However, he didn't regret playing and said he would make the same choice again.

Quinn started three games this season for the underachieving Browns, who also lost quarterback Derek Anderson to a season-ending knee injury. Anderson tore his left medial collateral ligament in the closing minutes of Sunday's loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

With Quinn and Anderson done, Ken Dorsey will start Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. It will be Dorsey's first start since he was with San Francisco in 2005.

The team placed Anderson on the reserve-injured list Tuesday and signed veteran free agent QB Bruce Gradkowski, who made 11 starts for Tampa Bay in 2006.

Gradkowski, who has thrown nine career touchdowns and passed for 1,791 yards, was waived by the Buccaneers in June. He was with the St. Louis Rams during their training camp before being waived in August.