CLEVELAND -- Browns quarterback Brady Quinn had two pins surgically inserted into his broken right index finger on Wednesday and said he hopes to begin throwing once they are removed next month.
"In six weeks, once the pins are out, then we'll start to do a minor rehab program," Quinn said on a conference call. "I should be able to throw sometime soon after that."
Quinn broke the tip of his finger in a Nov. 17 game at Buffalo and then made the injury worse by playing the following week against Houston.
After debating his options, the second-year pro chose to have the operation, which was performed by hand specialist Dr. Thomas Hunt in Birmingham, Ala.
Quinn said the pins were implanted to repair the damaged tendon and move a piece of his bone which had broken off. He's wearing a large cast, which should come off in a week. Quinn plans to return to Cleveland on Thursday and hopes to travel with the team this weekend for the game at Tennessee.
Quinn said he got other opinions before deciding to have the surgery.
"It was something I felt pretty strongly about," he said. "I talked it over with my family and we felt the most comfortable situation for me was getting it done right, making sure it was set correctly and could heal correctly."
Quinn's season-ending injury was followed a week later by Derek Anderson tearing a ligament in his knee and being out for the final four games.
Ken Dorsey will start Sunday against the Titans (11-1). It will be his first start since 2005 for San Francisco, but Quinn is confident Dorsey, who went 38-2 as a starter in college, will play well.
"Ken Dorsey is a baller," Quinn said. "He didn't win all those games in college for no reason. I expect him to go out there and be one of the best prepared quarterbacks in the league and I'm looking for him to throw up some big numbers. Hopefully he'll go out there and lead our team to a win."
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press