The Washington Commanders’ injury picture got uglier late in the week, and the final report brought more concern than expected ahead of Sunday night’s matchup with Philadelphia.
Javon Kinlaw had already missed practice all week, so his status as out on Friday was no shock. The real jolt came with Daron Payne, who was added to the report with a foot injury after being limited in Friday’s session. He was initially listed as questionable, along with John Bates, Treylon Burks, and Jer’Zhan Newton.
Friday evening brought worse news. Tashan Reed of The Washington Post reported that Payne suffered a significant foot injury during practice, will miss Sunday's game, and is expected to miss significant time. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo also reported that Payne could be headed to injured reserve, with further testing expected Saturday.
The Commanders also lost Payne and Laremy Tunsil to what were described as fluke practice injuries. Tough. https://t.co/WM1IncvgiZ
Newton remains in his 21-day practice window as he works back from a pectoral injury, meaning Washington still has to activate him before he can play. Bates made progress over the week, going from no practice to limited, while Burks’ week was a little bumpier, moving from limited to not practicing and then back to limited on Friday.
Dan Quinn was clearly encouraged by what he saw from Newton’s rehab work earlier in the week, saying Wednesday: "Man, he has worked his ass off."
Washington did get some healthier news elsewhere on the roster. Luke McCaffrey, Charles Omenihu, and Deatrich Wise Jr. were limited Friday but did not carry a game designation.
Omenihu had been limited all week with groin and ankle issues. Nick Allegretti bounced back after sitting out Thursday and was a full participant Friday.
Jayden Daniels, Stefon Diggs, and Marcus Mariota were all full participants to close the week and carry no game designation.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, has injury issues of its own. The Eagles ruled out five players for Sunday night, including DeVonta Smith with a hamstring injury, Jihaad Campbell with hamstring and quad issues, Britain Covey with a knee injury, Jonathan Jones with a hamstring injury, and Dontayvion Wicks with an ankle injury.
Cornerback Jakorian Bennett is questionable with a knee injury. Saquon Barkley was limited Friday with hamstring and back issues, but he does not carry a game designation. Jalyx Hunt, dealing with knee and ankle injuries, and Moro Ojomo, with a neck injury, were also limited but have no game designation.
In Other News...
Eagles Suddenly Have A Backfield Problem They Can't Ignore
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Eagles Suddenly Look Thin In One Area Before Washington
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Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith were among the names sidelined again, and their continued absence stands out because both are central to what Philadelphia wants to do on offense. Add in the other missed practices and the fact that 14 more players were limited or full participants, and the Eagles are suddenly managing a roster that looks thinner than usual at a key point in the week. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Rough Start Just Reignited The Jalen Hurts Future Debate
A rough stretch has a way of turning every Eagles conversation back to the quarterback position, and Jalen Hurts is once again at the center of it. Hurts is out for the season because of blood clots, though the expectation is that he will recover, and the teams current skid has only added more noise around what comes next for Philadelphia at the games most important spot.
Hurts is still under contract through 2028 and holds a no-trade clause, but the long view is where the uncertainty starts to creep in. With the Eagles future quarterback plans still very much in the speculative stage, the debate has shifted from whether they need to think ahead to how aggressively they might eventually do it. [Read more 🡒]