"Washington Redskins tight end Chris Cooley said Monday he expects to return to practice next week and is "100 percent confident" he will play in the season opener against the New York Giants on Sept. 11.

Cooley has been sidelined for much of the preseason with soreness and inflammation in his left knee. It was the same knee on which he underwent arthroscopic surgery after the 2010 season. Cooley's rehabilitation was hindered because he wasn't able to work with the Redskins' trainers and doctors during the lockout.

After the last few weeks of treatment, Cooley said he finally is experiencing improvement.

"I've been making dramatic progress over the last few weeks," the tight end said. "I've been so pleased with our training staff. Our head trainer Larry Hess has done everything possible that we could think of to treat my knee. Three weeks ago, I was unsure of completely what kind of recovery progress I'd be making. But now I'm 100 percent confident that I'll play against the Giants.""