Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman had the soft case removed from his fractured right thumb Monday, and the starter expects to return to practice next week and be ready for the Sept. 12 season opener against the Cleveland Browns.
"I'm making progress," Freeman told the *Tampa Tribune*. "I'm just in a splint now and everything's right on schedule. We've got it immobilized and it's definitely healing. I'd like to be back on the practice field starting with our preparations for the Cleveland game."
Coach Raheem Morris also hopes that Freeman, who led the Bucs to their only three wins of the 2009 season after being elevated to starter in Week 9, will be back for the opener.
"I trust him enough to let him go out on the field this week," Morris said. "Everything's going the right way for him -- everything's on schedule. I'm not supposed to say this, but Josh was out there gripping a ball the other day."
