The Washington Commanders were dealt a frightening sight in the second quarter of their Week 3 game against the Seattle Seahawks when linebacker Leo Chenal went down and stayed on the field after the play.
The cart came out for Chenal, who was first loaded onto a back board. At that point, his exact injury had not been known.
NBC Sports’ JP Finlay later reported that Chenal “moved his arms and legs” as he was being taken off, adding that, “Crowd chants Leo as Chenal gets carted off. He moved his arms and legs,” Finlay wrote.
Video later showed Chenal raising his left fist as he exited, which appeared to be a positive sign for his condition.
Chenal has now officially been ruled out with a neck injury, the Commanders announced.
The scene drew a strong reaction from those on the field, with the entire Commanders team huddling around Chenal as he was loaded onto the cart.
Follow the latest NFL Week 3 TV schedule for Sunday:
Tennessee Titans at New York Giants - 1 p.m., CBS
New England Patriots at Jacksonville Jaguars - 1 p.m., CBS
Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers - 1 p.m., CBS
Kansas City Chiefs at Miami Dolphins - 1 p.m., CBS
Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts - 1 p.m., CBS
Los Angeles Chargers at Buffalo Bills - 1 p.m., FOX
New York Jets at Detroit Lions - 1 p.m., FOX
Seattle Seahawks at Washington Commanders - 1 p.m., FOX
Carolina Panthers at Cleveland Browns - 1 p.m., FOX
Minnesota Vikings at Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 4:05 p.m., FOX
Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers - 4:05 p.m., FOX
Baltimore Ravens vs. Dallas Cowboys in Rio de Janeiro - 4:25 p.m., CBS
Las Vegas Raiders at New Orleans Saints - 4:25 p.m., CBS
Los Angeles Rams at Denver Broncos - 8:20 p.m., NBC
In Other News...
Kain Medrano May Have Just Forced A Bigger Commanders Role
The Commanders needed help at linebacker, and Kain Medrano gave them something they can build on in a hurry. In Sundays win over the Seahawks, the second-year linebacker finally got his first regular-season defensive snaps and made them count in a major way, turning a fourth-quarter interception into a pick-six that helped decide the game. It was the kind of sudden impact Washington has been searching for as injuries have thinned that position group.
Marcus Mariota, Sonny Styles and Terry McLaurin did their part in the victory, but Medranos moment may have changed the conversation about what comes next. A player who had not taken a defensive snap in an NFL regular-season game before Week 3 suddenly looked like someone Washington can trust in meaningful situations, and with the linebacker room already stretched, his role is now worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Shocked Seattle But One Problem Still Wont Go Away
The Commanders left their home opener with an eye-opening win over Seattle, and the result was even more impressive because it came after Jayden Daniels went down with a dislocated elbow. Marcus Mariota stepped in at quarterback, while Washington played with noticeably more urgency and got an early lift from a defense that looked far sharper than it had in recent weeks.
Mike Sainristils limited playing time was one piece of the postgame conversation, but the larger concern lingered in the same familiar place. Washington still had trouble staying clean before the snap, and those discipline issues keep hanging around even after a victory that should have been about relief and momentum. The Commanders got the upset they needed, but the details around how sustainable it really is are harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Finally Won But One Big Question Still Looms
The Commanders finally got the result they had been chasing, knocking off a Seahawks team that had ripped off a 12-game winning streak and doing it with a clean, composed effort from Marcus Mariota. Making the start at quarterback, Mariota threw three touchdowns without a turnover, while Kain Medranos interception return for a score swung the game in Washingtons favor. Sonny Styles, Terry McLaurin and Rachaad White also had their moments in a win built around opportunistic defense and taking care of the ball.
Even with the seasons first victory in hand, the larger quarterback conversation in Washington has hardly gone away. Mariota delivered exactly what the Commanders needed in this one, but the context around his start means the position remains one of the most closely watched parts of the roster going forward. A win like this buys breathing room, not closure, and that is what makes the next step so interesting for a team trying to turn one good Sunday into something more sustainable. [Read more 🡒]