The Washington Commanders’ 33-31 win over the Seattle Seahawks gave them more than a fresh start in the standings. It also kicked off a Monday full of roster movement, injury updates and a quick pivot toward London.
The biggest immediate addition came with running back Austin Ekeler. Ian Rapoport reported that Washington is bringing Ekeler back after he worked out and had been set to sign with the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad when Week 4 opened. Instead, he’ll land on the Commanders’ 53-man roster.
There was tougher news on Leo Chenal. The linebacker suffered a fractured neck and had surgery to repair it, which means he’ll miss the rest of the season.
Chenal said on X that the surgery was successful and that he can move all of his extremities. Dan Quinn later confirmed the positive update, saying, “Leo had surgery this morning and it went well,” Quinn said.
“That’s a big deal. Great teammate and has been a significant addition, both on and off the field, so that was good news to hear.”
Quinn also offered an update on Jayden Daniels, who will travel with the team to London and is expected back on the practice field this week. Quinn did not go much further than that, so Daniels’ level of involvement as the week goes on remains something to watch before Sunday’s game against the Colts at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The game itself was the kind of win that doesn’t need much dressing up. Washington, playing in a rainy home opener at Northwest Stadium, beat the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks 33-31 to collect its first victory of the 2026 NFL season and hand Seattle its first loss. The Seahawks came in on a 12-game winning streak.
Seattle still piled up more yardage - 437 to 258 - and finished with 28 first downs to Washington’s 17. But turnovers changed everything. Washington forced three of them, including Kain Medrano’s 50-yard pick-six late in the fourth quarter, and that proved to be the difference against a team that had not been beaten in 12 games.
That turnover margin mattered even more because the Commanders were dealing with a backup quarterback and a depleted offensive line, and David Blough still managed to call a sharp game. One of the most striking moments came after Washington capitalized on Seattle’s first turnover. Blough called a fake swing pass in the second quarter that turned into a tunnel screen to Jaylin Lane, and it produced the Seahawks’ first 20-plus-yard play allowed by their defense this season.
Another key offensive sequence came when Marcus Mariota rolled left and fired to Terry McLaurin near the front of the end zone from the Seahawks’ 30-yard line. McLaurin turned, caught the ball and secured it as he fell for a two-score lead.
It looked clean in real time, but Mariota said the details were a little different. “It kind of changed on the fly,” Mariota said after the game.
Washington’s defense, meanwhile, showed a different kind of edge. The Commanders entered last season as one of the league’s worst run defenses, giving up more than 141 rushing yards per game.
Now that area looks like a strength. Seattle came in ranked ninth in rushing offense, but Washington held the Seahawks to 44 yards on 18 carries, a 2.4-yard average.
Price led Seattle with 15 yards, and most of that came on an 11-yard run that was also the Seahawks’ longest of the day. It was the fewest rushing yards Washington had allowed since Week 13 of the 2024 season against Tennessee.
Seattle still moved the ball through the air, but the lack of a run game mattered. A clear example came at the Washington 2-yard line in the second quarter, when the Seahawks threw on three straight plays and came away with a turnover on downs.
Quinn said after the game, “I don’t know if I can quantify it,” Quinn said. “But I do know, coming into this, that we were going to be really tested.
The 0-3 test and the 1-2 test, both don’t sound great on paper. But they feel a lot different.”
There was also a reminder of just how fast things can swing in this league. Washington’s defense had not forced three turnovers in a game since that five-turnover divisional playoff win in Detroit in January 2025.
Last season, the unit finished with just 10 takeaways, which ranked 31st out of 32 teams. Against Seattle, it produced three, and the tone of the week changed with it.
In Other News...
Commanders Shocked Seattle But One Problem Still Wont Go Away
The Commanders got the kind of home-opening jolt they needed against Seattle, even after losing Jayden Daniels to a dislocated elbow. Marcus Mariota stepped in at quarterback, and Washington played with better urgency from the start, while the defense set the tone early and helped turn an unexpected afternoon into a much-needed win.
Mike Sainristil's limited playing time remained a notable concern, but the bigger issue may be one Washington keeps carrying with it from week to week. The improved energy was real, yet the pre-snap discipline problems still showed up enough to keep the performance from feeling fully clean, and that is the sort of thing that can linger even after a result like this. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Head To London With Jonathan Taylor Facing A Familiar Problem
The Commanders head into London with both teams sitting at 1-2 after each finally got into the win column in Week 3. It is a tidy early-season reset for a matchup at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where Washington will get a chance to measure itself against an Indianapolis team that has shown enough to keep this one from feeling like a throwaway overseas trip.
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Commanders Turn Back To Austin Ekeler With Run Game Questions
Austin Ekeler is on track to return to Washington, with the Commanders reportedly planning to bring back the veteran running back once he clears a physical. It is a familiar name at a familiar position for a team still trying to steady its run game, and the move would give Washington a proven back who already knows the system and the expectations around it.
Ekelers path back has been a long one after the torn Achilles tendon that ended his 2025 season, but he has resumed football activities and has stayed on the radar around the league. He recently worked out with the Carolina Panthers and left without a contract offer, which makes Washingtons interest all the more notable as the Commanders weigh what they need from the backfield and how much they can still count on a player working his way back. [Read more 🡒]