Nate Burleson injury: Lions receiver cleared to travel with team

Although he remains on the injured reserve and cannot return to action this season, Detroit Lions receiver Nate Burleson was officially cleared to travel with the team for the remainder of the year, reported Dave Birk of the Detroit Free Press.

Burleson's 2012 campaign came to an abrupt end when he broke his leg in an Oct. 22 game against Chicago, but the veteran receiver still made sure to fire up his teammates with a pregame speech from his hospital bed before their game against the Seattle Seahawks the following week. Burleson is fully aware that he can't actually impact games with his on-field abilities right now, so he's hoping to take on the role of unofficial cheerleader for the duration of the season instead.

"I think I can use these crutches, I just got to be behind the bench, so you’ll see me yelling behind the bench, getting guys going," Burleson said. "I got to figure out a way to earn my money, and if I can motivate the guys to play better, play faster, play stronger and get a victory, then I’m going to feel better about myself."

Considering that Burleson may very well be fighting for a job next season due to the injury, it's hard to argue with his sheer dedication to the organization. A number of other players would simply choose to remain home and rehab on their own after being ruled out for the year, and Burleson's presence on the sideline can only be a beneficial thing for the team.