Commanders QB Jayden Daniels Receives Medical Clearance, To Return In Week 5
OCTOBER 3: To no surprise, the Commanders announced on Friday that Daniels will play this week. Washington (2-2 on the year) will take on the Chargers Sunday with expectations for increased production on offense.
OCTOBER 1: Commanders head coach Dan Quinn announced on Wednesday (via CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones) that quarterback Jayden Daniels was medically cleared for full participation at practice.
Daniels has been sidelined for the last two games with a knee injury suffered in Week 2. The Commanders went 1-1 in his absence with Marcus Mariota under center.
The veteran quarterback was efficient in Week 3, though 14 of Washington’s 41 points had little to do with Mariota. One touchdown was a 60-yard rush by running back Jeremy McNichols; another was a 90-yard punt return by rookie wide receiver Jaylin Lane. Mariota was not as effective in Week 5, though the Commanders still scored 24 points against a sneaky-good Falcons defense.
Mariota’s performance showed exactly why he is among the league’s top backups. He was a fine caretaker of the Commanders offense, but Daniels no doubt offers a much higher ceiling of play through the air and on the ground. Returning to full participation this week is an excellent sign for his chances to play in Week 5, provided that he doesn’t experience a setback in practice.
Quinn did not have any concrete updates on other injured players like Terry McLaurin, Noah Brown, and John Bates, saying (via Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic) that all three are “trending up” and “making good progress.”
Commanders, Jets, Ravens To Meet With Drake Jackson
The 49ers’ top draftee in 2022, Drake Jackson did not deliver on his second-round investment. A knee injury derailed the USC product, who has not played in nearly two years.
Jackson went down in November 2023, being shut down by Week 9. At the time, the 49ers did not declare the defensive end out for the season. But as the team’s playoff outlook came into focus, Kyle Shanahan made it clear Jackson would not be part of it. Jackson then spent the 2024 season on the 49ers’ reserve/PUP list, inviting concern about his NFL future since that placement came about as a result of a 2023 injury.
After being given the season-ending PUP designation during training camp, Jackson received his walking papers from the 49ers in May. No updates had tied Jackson to teams since, but that has changed. The former No. 61 overall pick has returned to full health, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who reports the recovering edge rusher has booked three visits as a result. The Commanders, Jets and Ravens have scheduled meetings with Jackson, who will huddle up with those interested clubs beginning this weekend.
When available in San Francisco, Jackson was moderately productive. Logging a 33% snap rate as a backup in 2022, Jackson tallied three sacks. In 2023, Jackson added three more on a 38% snap rate. That production came in nine games, as the 6-foot-4 D-end was done by midseason.
The 49ers have made two sets of offseason moves since Jackson’s injury, signing Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos in 2024 and then adding Mykel Williams in Round 1 before trading for Bryce Huff this offseason. The latter duo, with Floyd since cut, is playing a bigger-than-expected role due to Nick Bosa‘s Week 3 ACL tear.
Washington carried a big EDGE need into the summer but did add Von Miller ahead of his age-36 season. Miller has 1.5 sacks and three QB hits through four games, with Dorance Armstrong leading the team with three sacks. Washington has lost Deatrich Wise for the season, however. Ravaged by defensive injuries, the Ravens have been without Kyle Van Noy for two games. They only have four sacks on the season; contract-year EDGE Odafe Oweh is sackless thus far. Jermaine Johnson returned from injury to complement Will McDonald in New York this season. Johnson does not have a sack, having missed the past two games due to a concussion.
Jackson, of course, does not exactly profile as an immediate fix for EDGE-needy teams. The knee injury threw off his developmental track. A practice squad invite may be Jackson’s more likely route here, but significant interest emerging does point to the 2022 draftee receiving another chance soon.
Commanders Work Out Punter Jack Browning
- The Ravens had defensive backs Amani Oruwariye, Michael Davis, Kemon Hall, and Keenan Isaac in for tryouts on Wednesday, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. The 30-year-old Davis is the most experienced member of the group, having amassed 122 appearances (76 starts) and eight interceptions with the Chargers and Commanders since 2017. However, only Oruwariye impressed Baltimore’s brass enough to earn a contract with the team this week. The Ravens added the seventh-year cornerback and former Lion, Jaguar, and Cowboy on a practice squad deal on Wednesday. He’ll provide depth with the Ravens dealing with a slew of defensive injuries, including to corners Marlon Humphrey (calf), Nate Wiggins (elbow), and Chidobe Awuzie (hamstring).
- The Commanders tried out punter Jack Browning on Thursday, according to Wilson. Washington is looking for depth behind two-time Pro Bowl punter and 12th-year man Tress Way, who has averaged 47.1 yards per punt and 43.4 net on 14 tries this season. Browning, undrafted from San Diego State in 2o24, appeared in 10 games with Tampa Bay as a rookie and averaged 42.5 yards (34.6 net) on 10 punts.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/1/25
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: RB Jermar Jefferson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: G LaDarius Henderson
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Nick Whiteside
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: T Bobby Hart
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LB Caleb Johnson
New York Jets
- Signed: OLB Tomon Fox
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: OLB Antwaun Powell-Ryland
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: RB Myles Gaskin
Washington Commanders
- Signed: WR Robbie Chosen
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/1/25
Here are the first minor transactions of October:
Detroit Lions
- Signed from practice squad: S Loren Strickland, LB Ty Summers
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed from practice squad: S Trey Washington
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed from practice squad: T Foster Sarell
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on IR: WR Tyreek Hill (story)
Tennessee Titans
- Claimed off waivers (from Packers): T Brant Banks
Washington Commanders
- Signed from practice squad: CB Antonio Hamilton
- Placed on IR: DE Javontae Jean-Baptiste (story)
Commanders G Sam Cosmi Returns To Practice
The Commanders may be on the verge of getting an offensive line stalwart back. The team announced Wednesday that right guard Sam Cosmi returned to practice. Washington will have 21 days to activate him from injured reserve. Cosmi started the season on the reserve/PUP list.
While it’s unlikely that Cosmi will play this week against the Chargers, it’s encouraging that the 26-year-old has made such quick progress from a major injury. Cosmi tore the ACL in his right knee in a divisional round win over the Lions in last January’s playoffs, leaving him unavailable for an NFC championship game loss to the Eagles and the Commanders’ first four contests this season.
The Commanders have used Nick Allegretti and Andrew Wylie at right guard this year. Cosmi will slot back into that spot if he’s able to return in the next three weeks.
A former tackle, Cosmi scored a four-year, $74MM extension with the Commanders just a couple of days before the start of the 2024 campaign. It was the first significant extension general manager Adam Peters doled out.
Cosmi, who joined Washington as a second-round pick in 2021, went on to start in all 17 of the team’s regular-season games for the second year in a row. He was an integral part of an O-line that helped quarterback Jayden Daniels to one of the greatest seasons from a rookie signal-caller in league history.
The Daniels-led Commanders burst on the scene as surprise contenders last year. However, thanks in part to injuries, they’re out to a so-so 2-2 start this season. Daniels has missed back-to-back games with a knee injury, though it appears he’ll be back in action this week. He figures to be among the beneficiaries if Cosmi takes the field the field this season. Cosmi’s return could also aid an already formidable ground attack that ranks second in the NFL with 154.5 rushing yards per game.
Commanders To Sign WR Robbie Chosen
Robbie Chosen has lined up his next NFL opportunity. The veteran receiver is signing with the Commanders, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. 
This will be a practice squad agreement. Chosen – whose moniker has shifted from Robby Anderson to Robbie Anderson to Chosen Anderson over the course of his NFL tenure – has bounced around the league in recent years. The 32-year-old’s most recent regular season action came with the Dolphins last season.
Following a lengthy spell on the open market, Chosen took a workout with the 49ers in early August. That visit produced a deal along with playing time in the preseason, but San Francisco did not keep the former UDFA on the roster during cutdowns. Chosen remained unsigned through the first month of the campaign, but he has now landed a chance with Washington.
The Commanders were without receivers Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown last week, so it comes as little surprise depth is being targeted as those two continue to recover. General manager Adam Peters was not in the 49ers’ organization during Chosen’s time there this summer, but the Temple product is hardly the first player to have spent time with San Francisco before signing with the Commanders. It will be interesting to see if he receives any looks on the active roster in the near future.
Many of Chosen’s best seasons came with the Jets (including a career-high seven touchdowns in 2017). He enjoyed a 1,000-yard campaign in 2020, his first year under former college coach Matt Rhule with the Panthers. After a tumultuous exit from the Panthers, Chosen has not managed to secure a full-time role in the NFL. His latest opportunity to chip in offensively will come in the nation’s capital.
Commanders To Place DE Javontae Jean-Baptiste On IR
3:00pm: Head coach Dan Quinn confirmed (via Jhabvala) Jean-Baptiste suffered a pectoral injury and will miss extended time as a result (although the door is open to a return late in the year). Surgery is in store, along with a move to injured reserve.
9:51am: The Commanders appear to have suffered another blow at the defensive end spot. Javontae Jean-Baptiste is feared to have suffered a torn pectoral muscle in Week 4, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic reports. 
An MRI will be used to confirm the diagnosis. Provided a torn pec is indeed the case in this instance, though, Jean-Baptiste could miss the remainder of the campaign. The 2024 seventh-rounder made 12 appearances as a rookie during the regular season and played in each of Washington’s three playoff games. He served in a depth capacity while doing so.
Jean-Baptiste handled a 30% snap share on defense this season, and he would have been in line to remain a part-time contributor at the DE spot moving forward if not for the injury. A lengthy rehab process will be in store for the 25-year-old provided a torn pec is confirmed with further testing. That would leave Washington even thinner at the position given the team’s other injuries early in the campaign.
Deatrich Wise suffered a season-ending quad injury in Week 2, something which prompted an in-season addition along the defensive line. Preston Smith returned to Washington in the wake of Wise’s injury, although he has yet to play in 2025. The 10-year veteran could be counted on to handle a notable role once he is fully prepared to suit up given the Commanders’ injury situation.
Jean-Baptiste’s rookie contract runs through 2027, so he has plenty of time to return to full health and contribute for Washington. That may not be possible until next season, however. Especially if the worst-case scenario is to be confirmed in this case, the Commanders could again find themselves in the market for an addition via trade or free agency.
Commanders Rule Out Jayden Daniels For Week 4; QB Expected To Return In Week 5
SEPTEMBER 28: Daniels is expected to return for Washington’s Week 5 game against the Chargers, per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link). Rapoport says Daniels’ workout on Saturday went well.
SEPTEMBER 27: ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler gave some updates on Daniels and McLaurin this morning. Fowler confirmed Reed’s report from yesterday that Daniels is pushing to play, but the medical and coaching staffs view his knee injury as a mobility issue. Per Fowler, if Daniels’ legs didn’t add so much to his game, the Commanders may be willing to stick him back there and force him to be a pocket passer for a few games until healthy. Instead, they’re opting to give him more time to heal his knee, so that he’ll be able to deliver a more complete product upon his return and avoid the disaster of further injury that the franchise has seen in the past.
While there’s a decent chance Daniels could return for Week 5, the question marks remain that week for McLaurin. While Fowler has been told that Fowler will not go on injured reserve, he’s still week-to-week without a clear timetable for a return.
SEPTEMBER 26: The Commanders ruled out star quarterback Jayden Daniels for their Week 4 matchup with the Falcons, per Tashan Reed of The Washington Post.
That decision will position Marcus Mariota to start for the second week in a row, this time facing his former team. He impressed against the Raiders last Sunday, completing 15 of his 21 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown. He also added 40 yards and a touchdown on the ground as he led Washington’s offense to 34 points.
Daniels was pushing to play this week, per Reed, telling reporters on Wednesday that he feels back to full strength after spraining his knee in Week 2. He was absent from Friday’s practice but participated in a limited capacity on Wednesday and Thursday. When asked about his activity level, he said that he did “enough to feel good if I play on Sunday.”
However, he admitted that his status would be “up to the doctors,” adding, “It’s not my decision.”
Despite concerns about Daniels’ propensity to take big hits as a runner, the 2024 first-round pick played through an October chest injury to start all 17 games as a rookie. Despite an apparent desire to do the same this year, the Commanders are taking a more cautious approach with their franchise quarterback.
Washington’s passing game will also be without multiple receivers on Sunday. As expected, Terry McLaurin was ruled out with a quad injury, and Noah Brown is likely to miss his second game in a row. The Commanders will need Luke McCaffrey, Chris Moore, and Jaylin Lane to step up alongside Deebo Samuel, who leads the team in receptions.
The Commanders did get some encouraging news for their offense on Friday with rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt returning to practice after missing the last two days. His availability would be crucial to a Commanders backfield that lost Austin Ekeler to a season-ending Achilles tear in Week 2.
McLaurin did not practice at all this week, while RB JCM returned to practice on Friday and would be crucial on Sunday to a Commanders backfield that lost Austin Ekeler to a season-ending Achilles tear in Week 2.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/27/25
Here are Saturday’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations:
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: DT Jordan Phillips
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: OLB Boogie Basham, G Brandon Walton
Chicago Bears
- Signed from practice squad: LB Carl Jones
- Elevated: TE Stephen Carlson, DT Jonathan Ford
Cleveland Browns
Dallas Cowboys
- Elevated: WR Jalen Cropper
Detroit Lions
- Elevated: WR Jackson Meeks
- Placed on IR: S Daniel Thomas
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: G Lecitus Smith
Houston Texans
- Elevated: CB Myles Bryant, CB D’Angelo Ross
Indianapolis Colts
- Elevated: CB Mike Hilton, G Josh Sills
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Elevated: TE Quintin Morris, WR Austin Trammell
Kansas City Chiefs
- Elevated: CB Kevin Knowles, DT Brodric Martin
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: TE Albert Okwuegbunam, TE Carter Runyon
Los Angeles Chargers
- Elevated: T Foster Sarell, RB Kimani Vidal
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: RB Cam Akers
New England Patriots
- Elevated: LB Darius Harris, C Brenden Jaimes
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: DE Fadil Diggs, LB Nephi Sewell
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Elevated: RB Trey Sermon
San Francisco 49ers
- Elevated: CB Eli Apple
Tennessee Titans
- Elevated: LB Curtis Jacobs, RB Jordan Mims
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: CB Antonio Hamilton, WR Tay Martin
With Colts cornerback Kenny Moore presumed to potentially miss a few weeks, the recent signee, Hilton, will get his opportunity to supplement the team’s secondary. He may be able to earn an official spot on the 53-man roster with an impactful game. Similarly, Cropper may be able to get into his first NFL game since going undrafted in 2023 as he gets elevated to a receiving corps that will sorely miss CeeDee Lamb.
Morris is getting called up for the third time for Jacksonville. If the Jaguars intend for him to appear in another game after this week, they’ll need to sign him to the 53-man roster.