The Washington Commanders may have to take on the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night without the player who anchors their run defense.
Javon Kinlaw hurt his knee in Washington’s Monday night loss to the San Francisco 49ers, and even with the extra time off, he doesn’t look likely to be ready for Week 8. Head coach Dan Quinn didn’t sugarcoat it on Wednesday.
“Javon, likely gonna be tough to make it for this weekend,” head coach Dan Quinn said on Wednesday.
That would be a notable blow for Washington’s front. Kinlaw has been a steady presence up the middle this season and has helped lead a defensive line that ranks 14th against the run. The 6-foot-5, 319-pound tackle has started all 23 games for the Commanders since signing with them in March 2025.
There was at least a lift on the injury front elsewhere along the defensive line. Third-year tackle Jer’Zhan Newton was back on the field Wednesday after tearing a pectoral muscle in August. Washington opened his 21-day window, giving him three weeks to either get fully cleared for the active roster or land on season-ending injured reserve.
“Johnny Newton’s 21-day window was activated,” Quinn said. "Man, he has worked his ass off. He was injured in preseason game number one, and man, I’m pumped to have him back out at practice.”
Newton’s return won’t replace everything Kinlaw brings, especially against the run. Newton is more of a pass-rush threat, and the Commanders are still waiting for the No. 36 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to fully hit his stride. But Washington is hoping the changes in defensive coordinator Daronte Jones’ scheme can help unlock more from him.
The timing matters, too. The Eagles are already dealing with a beaten-up offense, with Jalen Hurts out and Saquon Barkley also in doubt after not practicing Wednesday because of hamstring and back injuries.
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Jayden Daniels second act in Washington has not come close to matching the electric start he gave the Commanders as a rookie, and the reasons are easy enough to see. Injuries have chipped away at his availability and stalled any momentum he was trying to build, leaving the organization with less certainty than it had hoped for when he looked like the face of the franchise.
Now the conversation around Daniels is starting to stretch beyond weekly availability and into bigger-picture team planning. There is already speculation about his future in Washington, with trade buzz and contract talks hovering in the background, and that kind of uncertainty tends to get louder when a players on-field sample has been interrupted so often. For the Commanders, the next stretch may say as much about their long-term direction as it does about Daniels himself. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders May Be Heading Toward A Daron Payne Decision Fans Dread
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Daron Payne has surfaced as a name to watch because hes in the final year of his deal, which naturally puts him in the trade conversation as the Commanders weigh draft capital against keeping a proven veteran in place. CBS Sports analyst Jared Dubin listed Payne among his top 25 trade candidates, a reminder that Washington may soon have to make a decision on a player it would rather not be thinking about this way. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Still Have A Center Debate Even After Lucas Patricks Start
Lucas Patrick has settled in quickly enough at center that the Commanders were comfortable elevating him into the starting role by Week 3 after signing him on Sept. 16, 2026. The veteran has handled 258 offensive snaps there without allowing a sack, giving Washington at least one steady presence in the middle as the line has continued to take shape early in the season.
Even so, the tape and the metrics have not told a perfectly tidy story. Pro Football Focus grades suggest Patrick still has room to clean things up in both overall play and pass protection, which helps explain why the Commanders keep treating their offensive line as a work in progress rather than a finished product. Dan Quinn has framed the recent adjustments as more about strategy than a straight personnel overhaul, leaving the center situation with some intrigue even after Patricks quick rise. [Read more 🡒]