| | Associated Press
DAVIE, Fla. -- Miami Dolphins quarterback Jay Fiedler is
recovering rapidly from arthroscopic hip surgery and hopes to play
in the team's final exhibition game Aug. 25 against New Orleans.
Fiedler underwent surgery Thursday and was walking the next day.
He's also riding a bicycle and swimming to regain a full range of
motion in his right hip, and for the first time in weeks he's
pain-free.
"Right now we're shooting for that last preseason game," he
said Monday. "That's our goal, and it looks like we're on
schedule."
Diagnosis last week of the injury, which had bothered Fiedler
since last spring, temporarily ended the battle to succeed Dan
Marino at quarterback. Damon Huard is expected to start the first
game Sept. 3 against Seattle.
But Fiedler, who signed with Miami as a free agent in March,
still expects to play this year.
"It's a long season," he said. "No matter who was going to
get the starting job from the beginning, there are very few
quarterbacks who last 16 games. The backup is going to be needed at
some point."
The operation repaired a tear in Fiedler's hip joint. His
surgeon, Dr. Mark Philipon, performed a similar procedure five
weeks ago on golfer Greg Norman, who recovered quickly and finished
fourth Sunday in The International tournament in Colorado.
"Seeing that keeps me very hopeful," Fiedler said.
It's unclear how much the injury hampered Fiedler, who had been
unable to overtake Huard in the quarterback derby. Fiedler said the
hip bothered him most when he turned to throw sideline passes.
He will miss at least three exhibition games.
"It sets me back a little bit, but I've been here since March
and working with the guys for a while," he said. "Physically I'll
just have to catch up on the work I miss."
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