Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
LANDOVER, MARYLAND – NOVEMBER 10: Austin Ekeler #30 and Jayden Daniels #5 of the Washington Commanders celebrate after Ekeler’s rushing touchdown in the first quarter of a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Northwest Stadium on November 10, 2024 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
The Washington Commanders enter Week 3 of the NFL season navigating a rash of injuries that could alter the trajectory of their early campaign. Head coach Dan Quinn confirmed Monday that running back Austin Ekeler and defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. will miss the rest of the season while quarterback Jayden Daniels, tight end John Bates, wide receiver Noah Brown, and cornerback Jonathan Jones remain day-to-day.
Quinn opened his press conference by acknowledging the emotional toll of losing two veteran leaders. “I’ll start off just with a little bit of tough news and we have two players that will be out for the year and that’s Austin Ekeler and Deatrich Wise,” Quinn said. “These are two incredible guys and so I just want to acknowledge that before we got rolling. I’m definitely bummed for them.”
Daniels’ Recovery and Quarterback Contingency
Daniels, who suffered a knee sprain during Thursday night’s loss to Green Bay, remains under evaluation as the Commanders prepare for the Las Vegas Raiders. “He did have an MRI and he has already begun his return to play process with us,” Quinn said. “He’s truly day-to-day. What does that mean for Sunday? I can’t tell you that now. I’ll have more to share on Wednesday.”
The head coach detailed the process for Daniels’ return. “It starts off first on like the strength part of things, the movements, and that’s step one,” Quinn explained. “Then on the field, the change of direction, the pivoting, the moving, all of those would be the things to go. He’d have to see all of the steps along this week to hit those marks, the speed, the stopping, the change of direction, all of it.”
Quinn also emphasized caution, noting Daniels’ importance to the team. “With Jayden, we know how important he is and so we’re just going to kind of take it. That’s why I truly say it’s day by day to make sure that he can absolutely be himself.”
Should Daniels be unavailable, Quinn expressed complete trust in veteran backup Marcus Mariota. “If called upon, this is an elite competitor, teammate and player,” Quinn said. “Our confidence in him is through the roof based on who he is, the teammate, what he’s shown to us here.”
Depth Tested Across Key Positions
Beyond Daniels, several offensive contributors are also recovering. Quinn labeled Brown and Bates as long shots for Sunday. “Both of them had soft tissue injuries and we’ll just see what it looks like as we get through Wednesday,” he noted. Jones remains in evaluation as well, leaving the secondary potentially shorthanded.
Replacing Ekeler’s production will require a committee approach. “He has been such a factor for us both on the field and the teammate he is off the field,” Quinn said. “It won’t be with one person, not right away anyway. Those roles get worked out over time, but it won’t be in the exact same way we did it with Austin.” Running backs Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt and Chris Rodriguez are expected to see expanded roles.
Defensively, the absence of Wise creates another adjustment. “We’ll have to adjust for sure and the size and the strength that Deatrich plays with on the edge, that’s a real thing,” Quinn explained. “Fortunately for the roster, we’ve got some guys with some size that we can put into some different locations without giving away too much.”
Despite the setbacks, Quinn stressed the importance of resilience. “I think teams go through it. It’s just at different times with injuries and such,” he said. “You need a big deep crew. And if players do have to miss that’s why we have this group and how we play. It’s a little bit of a puzzle. You have to put it together much like other teams do.”
The Commanders face a crucial stretch as they seek to rebound from their latest loss that dropped their record to 1-1 on the season. With the roster’s depth now under the microscope, Quinn’s leadership and the team’s adaptability will be pivotal in keeping their season on a positive, upward trajectory. While the injuries create uncertainty, Washington is determined to fight through adversity and prove its toughness in the weeks ahead.
Lake Lewis Jr Lake Lewis Jr. is an NFL and Washington Commanders Insider, as well as a contributing NFL Analyst for ABC and CBS Television. He hosts The Lake Lewis Jr. Show on YouTube, Radio One in Washington DC, and most major podcast platforms. Follow him @LakeLewisJr on social media. More about Lake Lewis Jr
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