Zach Ertz didn’t hesitate to reach out after Terry McLaurin went down with a devastating knee injury on Monday night.
The former Commanders tight end, who spent the past two seasons in Washington, shared a message for his old teammate on Instagram after McLaurin was hurt in the loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Ertz and McLaurin had been two of the steady voices in the locker room during Ertz’s run with the team, and the bond clearly carried over even after Ertz returned to the Philadelphia Eagles in September.
Ertz’s time in Washington ended after a brutal 2025 season that hit the Commanders hard. Coming off a 12-win campaign and the franchise’s first NFC Championship Game appearance in 33 years, Washington was battered by injuries. Jayden Daniels missed 10 games, McLaurin missed seven, and Ertz suffered a major knee injury in Week 14.
That injury last December against the Vikings was Ertz’s final appearance in burgundy and gold. At 36, he rehabbed instead of letting that be the end of the story, then went back to Philadelphia, where his NFL career began and where he played his first 8.5 seasons.
During his two years in Washington, Ertz was one of Daniels’ top two targets along with McLaurin, and he made it clear he still had plenty of affection for the Commanders’ core. Even after moving on to a division rival, he remained close with former teammates and clearly felt for McLaurin after another painful setback.
McLaurin was diagnosed with a torn patellar tendon in his left knee. For a receiver who will turn 32 next season, it’s a crushing injury. He is still under contract with Washington next season, but there is no guaranteed money left on the deal, which leaves the Commanders the option to move on without penalty.
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K'Lavon Chaisson has been one of the more noticeable defensive additions in Washington lately, and the edge rushers recent run of play is starting to show up on the stat sheet. Over the last two games, he forced two fumbles, matching his career high and giving the Commanders a timely jolt from a position group that needs disruption off the edge. Both loose balls turned into recoveries by teammates Tim Settle and Frankie Luvu, the kind of hidden-impact plays that can swing a game even when they do not dominate the highlight reel.
For Washington, the bigger takeaway is that Chaissons production has come in a relatively short sample, with 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles through six games. The Commanders have been looking for more consistent splash from their pass rush, and Chaissons recent stretch at least gives them a player who is finding ways to affect the ball as well as the quarterback. Whether he can keep that pressure coming is the next question, especially with the defense still trying to establish a steadier identity. [Read more 🡒]
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One of the clearest questions centers on the interior of the defensive line, where Tim Settle Jr. has not delivered the kind of start Washington needed. The Commanders have already been searching for better answers at nose tackle, and the next step may involve a more fluid rotation there as the staff looks for more impact and steadiness in the middle. [Read more 🡒]
Jayden Daniels Still Has One Costly Issue Commanders Can't Ignore
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For Washington, the bigger concern is not Daniels talent but how quickly the operation around him cleans up the situational stuff that can swing tight games. Quinn has stressed development and communication, and Daniels overall play still points to a franchise quarterback in the making. Even so, the Commanders are watching closely because the margin for error shrinks fast when a team is trying to turn promise into wins. [Read more 🡒]