The Washington Commanders are heading into Week 3 already short-handed, and Nick Cross’ absence makes an uneasy situation in the secondary even worse.
Cross will not play against the Seattle Seahawks after suffering internal damage against the Dallas Cowboys, an injury serious enough to send him from AT&T Stadium to an ambulance and into an overnight hospital stay. He played every snap in that game, and while he felt well enough to fly home the next day, Washington isn’t taking any chances.
That’s the right call, because the Commanders’ defensive backfield can’t afford to lose another key piece. The group was already vulnerable, and now it has to deal with a Seahawks offense that has kept rolling despite losing starting quarterback Sam Darnold to injury early in the opener. Drew Lock has looked composed, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba has emerged as a legitimate superstar.
Cross had quickly become one of Washington’s most important defenders after joining the team this offseason. His energy, mindset and tone-setting style stood out right away, and even with the Commanders’ start to the season not going according to plan, he was one of the clear bright spots.
Now he’s out, and the Commanders have to reshuffle on the fly.
Jeremy Reaves is expected to lead the safety group, while Quan Martin could see more time on the field even though he hasn’t started the season well. Tyler Owens is another name who could get a longer look in the rotation, especially with Washington having little to lose by finding out what he can do.
There’s also a longer-term concern here. Cross’ situation brings back memories of wide receiver Noah Brown, who had a kidney issue that required surgery in 2024 and hasn’t been the same since. Washington will hope this turns out differently, but the message is clear: caution comes first.
That caution may also keep Cross out of the Commanders’ trip to London to face his former team, the Indianapolis Colts. He surely won’t want to miss it, but if he isn’t ready, the decision won’t be his.
For now, Washington is left leaning on depth it doesn’t exactly love. Cross was one of the team’s standouts, and only cornerback Amik Robertson matched his consistency on the back end. Losing that kind of presence complicates everything, especially against Seattle.
Still, this is the league. Someone else has to step in.
In Other News...
Chase Youngs Revival Revives A Painful Commanders Debate
Chase Youngs career has taken on a sharper, more encouraging shape since he left Washington, where injuries kept him from ever fully settling into the dominant force the Commanders expected when they drafted him. After the trade to San Francisco and then a move to New Orleans, the edge rusher has started stacking up the kind of production that once made him one of the leagues most intriguing young defenders, including a 10-sack season and another strong showing that has put his name back in the conversation.
For Washington, the revival brings back an uncomfortable question about what might have been if Young had been healthier in burgundy and gold. His current play is a reminder that the talent was never really gone, only interrupted, and it leaves the Commanders with a familiar what-if tied to one of their biggest recent investments. His rise elsewhere does not change the past, but it does make the debate around his time in Washington feel a lot harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Suddenly Have Real Stakes In One Risky QB Decision
The Commanders decision to carry three quarterbacks on their initial 53-man roster has already taken on more meaning than a typical developmental move. Rookie Athan Kaliakmanis was expected to spend the season learning behind Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota, but with Daniels injured and Mariota slated to start, Washington suddenly has a real reason to keep a close eye on its third quarterback spot.
Adam Peters has made clear why the club liked Kaliakmanis in the first place, pointing to his arm talent and competitiveness while also noting he still has room to grow. For a team trying to balance short-term stability with a long-term plan at the position, that makes the rookies role one of the more interesting developments to watch, especially if the quarterback room is forced to absorb more changes than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Fans Want Dan Quinn Gone But Washington Has A Bigger Problem
The frustration in Washington has been building for weeks, and Dan Quinn is feeling it now more than ever. The Commanders have stumbled through a rough stretch, and when Jayden Daniels went down on a play at the end of the first half against the Cowboys, the conversation around the coach shifted from disappointment to outrage almost instantly.
Daniels dislocated his elbow for the second time in two seasons on a critical call that will hang over Quinn as the scrutiny intensifies. He deserves plenty of criticism for how the situation unfolded, but the bigger issue is the one the Commanders have been wrestling with all along: a thin, inexperienced coaching staff and little reason to believe a midseason change would fix much of anything. [Read more 🡒]