Rarely does a special teams play break through the noise, but Tyler Owens made sure this one did. The Commanders safety turned a routine-looking punt sequence into the kind of clip that can take over a Sunday, flying through traffic and flattening Philadelphia return man Will Shipley in Washington’s Week 1 game against the Eagles.
Owens did the dirty work first. He slipped past his blockers, then kept himself alive through a maze of contact, brushing off four challenges before he ever got to Shipley.
Along the way, he used three stiff arms to clear space after crossing midfield, buying just enough room to finish the play the hard way. Once he reached the return man, the Texas Tech alum slid underneath the Clemson alum and drove him into the ground.
Even the broadcast booth took notice. Fox’s Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady reacted to the replay as it rolled back across the telecast, with Brady saying, "Look at him running through these gunners that are trying to get in his way," and adding, "No way, not today. [Washington special team coach Larry] Izzo is going to be very proud of that."
The clip raced across social media and piled up millions of views and impressions. Owens later dealt with an ankle injury in the second half, which limited him the rest of the way, but the hit on Shipley was the kind of effort that sticks in a coach’s mind long after the final whistle. It’s the sort of rep Izzo and Washington’s special teams staff are going to circle on film.
Owens, 25, has built his value on that kind of work. A highly touted recruit out of Plano, Texas, he played at Texas Tech, where he totaled 56 tackles over two seasons in Lubbock. He joined Washington as an undrafted free agent after the 2024 Draft and entered the 2026 season with 24 tackles and one forced fumble in his professional career.
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Eagles Lose Expected Week 1 Option Right Before Commanders Opener
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For Washington, it removes one more wrinkle from a division matchup already packed with early-season intrigue. Stowers now has to sit out at least four weeks, which means the earliest he can rejoin the Eagles is Week 5 against the Jaguars in London, leaving Philadelphia to sort out its tight end rotation without a player it had counted on for the opener. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Last Eagles Win Still Fuels A Brutal Draft Debate
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Washington moved from the No. 5 overall pick to No. 7 because of that result, which is why the debate has lingered. A late-season win over a division rival is the kind of moment a team wants to celebrate, but it also came with a price in draft position, leaving the Commanders to weigh the satisfaction of beating the Eagles against the long view of where they now sit in April. [Read more 🡒]
Jayden Daniels Looms Over Washingtons Biggest Week 1 Fantasy Decision
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Diggs gives the Commanders another proven pass-catching option, though there may be some adjustment time as he settles into the offense and learns where the targets will come from early on. For fantasy managers, that creates a tricky balance between ceiling and certainty, especially with Daniels presence likely to affect how the passing game is distributed. It is the kind of opening-week decision that can feel simple in theory and messy in practice, with Washington offering enough name value to tempt starters but enough uncertainty to make some managers think twice. [Read more 🡒]