Jayden Daniels Diagnosed With Knee Sprain, Week 3 Status In Doubt
September 17: Daniels will not practice on Wednesday, said Quinn (via NBC4 Washington). He added that Daniels would need to practice on Friday and be evaluated by the team before a decision on the Commanders’ Week 3 starter is made.
September 15: After getting banged up during Washington’s loss to Green Bay on Thursday, Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels underwent an MRI. The star sophomore has since been diagnosed with a knee sprain, putting his status for Week 3 in doubt, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo (and via NFL.com’s Kevin Patra).
[RELATED: Commanders QB Jayden Daniels Underwent MRI On Knee]
There is surely a sigh of relief in Washington, as the NFL Network insiders noted that the injury isn’t expected to be a long-term issue. Daniels had a separate check-in with team doctors today, and coach Dan Quinn later stated that his QB1 is considered day-to-day. The team will have more understanding of his Week 3 status when they return to practice on Wednesday.
The 2024 second-overall pick made it through his rookie campaign unscathed, although he did have to exit a midseason contest with a rib issue (which was later revealed to be a fracture). Daniels’ slender frame and dynamic play style left some scouts concerned about his durability, but he seemed to eliminate that narrative last year. Even a temporary absence in 2024 shouldn’t do much to reignite that unease.
Daniels, of course, had a rookie season for the record books, tossing 25 touchdowns and adding another six on the ground while guiding the Commanders to their first playoff victory since the 2005 season. The Commanders are hoping they can continue that momentum in 2025, although that task would prove to be a bit more daunting if Daniels is hobbled.
If Daniels does miss time, Marcus Mariota would likely be under center for the Commanders. The former second-overall pick re-signed with the Commanders this past offseason on a one-year, $8MM deal. Veteran Josh Johnson represents the only other QB on the active roster, with Sam Hartman currently stashed on the practice squad.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/16/25
Today’s practice squad moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: CB Keith Taylor
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: LB Malik Hamm
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: WR Kendric Pryor
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: CB Tre Avery, WR Gage Larvadain, T Joshua Miles, T Tyre Phillips
- Released: OT Logan Brown, DT Ralph Holley, CB LaMareon James
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Malik Cunningham, TE Ross Dwelley
- Released: LB Monty Rice
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: C Jimmy Morrissey
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: LB Cole Christiansen
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Dalen Cambre, LB Neville Hewitt, LB Curtis Jacobs
- Released: TE Qadir Ismail, DB Patrick McMorris
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: WR Isaiah Hodgins
Washington Commanders
- Signed: G Tyler Cooper, WR Tay Martin
- Placed on IR: G Darrian Dalcourt
The Steelers added a notable wide receiver to their taxi squad in Isaiah Hodgins. The wideout bounced between the Giants practice squad and active roster in 2024, but he’s not far removed from a stretch between 2022 and 2023 when he hauled in 58 catches for 622 yards and seven touchdowns. He’ll be joining a group of practice squad WRs that includes Rakim Jarrett and rookie Ke’Shawn Williams.
Speaking of the Giants, they added a veteran linebacker in Neville Hewitt. The 32-year-old has appeared in 146 games in time with the Dolphins, Jets, and Texans. His best season came with New York in 2020, when he compiled 134 tackles and a pair of sacks. He mostly saw a special teams role while in Houston, but he rebounded in 2024, tallying 59 tackles and a pair of forced fumbles in 17 games (four starts).
Commanders Host DE Preston Smith
The Commanders are eyeing an old friend for some help on the edge. Pass rusher Preston Smith visited the team today, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.
[RELATED: Commanders DE Deatrich Wise Suffers Season-Ending Quad Injury]
A second-round pick in 2015, Smith spent the first four years of his career in Washington. He never truly lived up to his draft billing, although he didn’t miss a start between 2016 and 2018. His best statistical season with the franchise may have come in a limited role during his rookie campaign, when he compiled eight sacks and three forced fumbles. Over the next three years, Smith added another 16.5 sacks to his resume.
He joined the Packers ahead of the 2019 season and had his most productive year, finishing with 12 sacks and 23 QB hits. He ended up serving as a full-time starter for Green Bay through the 2023 season, with the pass rusher tallying 25.5 sacks between 2021 and 2023.
He started nine games for the Packers in 2024 before getting dealt midseason to the Steelers, where he served in a part-time role. He finished last season with 32 tackles and 4.5 sacks. He was released by Pittsburgh back in February and has spent the last seven months unsigned.
He could find his next opportunity where his career started. The Commanders need some help at defensive end after Deatrich Wise suffered a season-ending quad injury. Newcomers Jacob Martin and Von Miller will be asked to pick up some of the slack alongside Dorance Armstrong and Javontae Jean-Baptiste, but Smith would provide some additional veteran depth to the grouping.
Smith wasn’t the only veteran defender to audition for the Commanders today. Per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson also visited the team today. Jefferson most recently split the 2024 campaign between the Browns and Bills, where he collected a pair of sacks.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/15/25
Today’s minor moves:
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on IR: C Cooper Beebe
Houston Texans
- Elevated: FB Jakob Johnson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: WR Alex Bachman
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived from IR: S Lewis Cine
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: OL Michael Jordan
Washington Commanders
- Signed from practice squad: DE Jalyn Holmes, WR Chris Moore
- Placed on IR: RB Austin Ekeler (story), DE Deatrich Wise (story)
As expected, Cowboys center Cooper Beebe landed on injured reserve today after suffering an ankle and foot injury during yesterday’s win over the Giants. The lineman suffered a lateral sprain in his ankle along with a bone fracture in his foot, an injury that’s expected to keep him sidelined for six to eight weeks. During an appearance on 105.3 The Fan, Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones expressed optimism that the injury timeline is “on the shorter end of that” (per Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com).
Commanders To Sign RB Chase Edmonds
In the wake of losing Austin Ekeler for the season, the Commanders have added backfield depth. Veteran Chase Edmonds has a deal in place with Washington, as first reported by Fox Sports’ Greg Auman. 
Prior to reaching this agreement, the Commanders looked into other free agent options. As Tom Pelissero of NFL Network notes, Demetric Felton, Khalil Herbert and Nyheim Miller-Hines also visited Washington. Each member of that trio remains unsigned, however.
To no surprise, this will be a practice squad arrangement. The Commanders still have Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Chris Rodriguez Jr. in the mix as healthy backfield options. Edmonds will offer the team with a veteran presence if he receives a gameday elevation, though.
The 29-year-old last played in 2023 with the Buccaneers. Edmonds split his time the previous season with the Dolphins and Broncos. Prior to that, he played out his rookie contract as a member of the Cardinals. That span overlapped with then-head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who is now the Commanders’ offensive coordinator. Edmonds thus represents a familiar face for his new team.
Over his six NFL seasons, the former fourth-rounder primarily worked as a rotational option in the backfield. In 2021, Edmonds started 11 of 12 games and handled a career-high 116 carries; that resulted in a personal best in terms of rushing yards (592). Similar numbers should not be expected after an absence this long and with a third-string role (at the most) in place, of course.
Still, Edmonds could handle part-time duties upon returning to NFL action. The Fordham product has racked up 158 receptions during his career, so he could look to compensate for Ekeler’s loss in the pass-catching department. Finding success in that capacity could help his value next offseason and lead to a market strong enough to avoid remaining unsigned into the 2026 regular season.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/13/25
Here are Saturday’s practice squad moves:
Chicago Bears
- Placed on practice squad/injured list: DE Xavier Carlton
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: S Trey Washington
- Released: S Darrick Forrest
Washington Commanders
- Signed: TE Lawrence Cager
- Released: P Mitch Wishnowsky
The Commanders needed Wishnowsky as insurance with regular punter Tress Way dealing with back issues throughout the week, but having made it through Week 2 with a heathy Way, Washington brings back Cager, whom they dropped to make room for Wishnowsky.
Carlton was moved off the practice squad to make room for former third-round kicker Jake Moody, who cleared waivers after getting cut from San Francisco this week and signed a practice squad deal in Chicago.
Commanders RB Austin Ekeler Suffered Achilles Tear
September 13: An MRI confirmed that Ekeler suffered a torn Achilles, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. He will miss the rest of the 2025 season as a result with Croskey-Merritt and McNichols set to step up in the Commanders’ backfield. Washington may be regretting their decision to deal Robinson before the regular season and could explore a running back addition via free agency or the trade market.
September 11: A cart transported Austin Ekeler off the field tonight in Green Bay, and the Washington running back is unlikely to play again this season. Some inside the Commanders organization believe the veteran pass-catching back suffered a season-ending injury, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.
Ekeler will undergo an MRI, but the expectation — according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter — is his second Commanders season will end after two games due to a torn Achilles. This will leave Washington without its top back, as the team traded three-year starter Brian Robinson to San Francisco in late August.
In the second season of a two-year, $8.43MM contract, Ekeler was to play a lead role for the Commanders. At 30 and due for free agency again in March, the former single-season touchdown leader faces an uncertain NFL future. Ekeler went down on a noncontact play in the fourth quarter. Trying to walk off the field under his own power, the dynamic RB fell back to the turf and needed assistance leaving the game.
Although Ekeler could not command a lofty guarantee as a 2024 free agent, he played an auxiliary role in Washington’s journey to its first NFC championship game in 33 years. Missing five games due to injury and complementing Robinson, the former UDFA accumulated 733 scrimmage yards and scored four touchdowns in 2024. He added 173 more yards from scrimmage during the Commanders’ three playoff games. Ekeler landed on IR due to a concussion last year but returned in time for Washington’s postseason run.
Acquired by the Chargers following the 2017 draft, Ekeler has done well to craft a nine-year career out of Division II Western State (Colo.). He outlasted Melvin Gordon in Los Angeles, signing a four-year extension and eventually leading the NFL in touchdowns in both the 2021 and ’22 seasons. Ekeler attempted to secure a raise on the heels of that stretch but was unsuccessful. The Bolts let their then-starter seek a trade, but in an offseason that brought a macro RB crisis, not much interest developed. Ekeler received a minor incentive bump that year and saw an early-season ankle injury lead to a downturn, thus limiting his appeal as a 2024 UFA.
Ekeler joined a stellar collection of RBs as 2024 free agents, hitting the market at the same time Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Aaron Jones, Tony Pollard and D’Andre Swift did. Ekeler’s guarantee ($4.21MM) paled in comparison to the non-Jones contingent here, but as a vested veteran, the rest of his contract locked in this month. While Ekeler will collect the rest of his $8.43MM from the Commanders, the part-time fantasy football analyst has hit a career crossroads thanks to tonight’s development.
Following the Robinson trade and Ekeler injury, the Commanders will probably look to add at the position. The team currently rosters ninth-year veteran Jeremy McNichols and seventh-round rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt. The latter flashed against the Giants in Week 1, despite limited duty, and his presence was believed to have influenced the Commanders on the Robinson trade. While seventh-round rookies are not commonly early-season backfield contributors, Washington may have no choice but to give Croskey-Merritt a bigger role immediately.
The Commanders have also seen their Deebo Samuel trade provide good early returns. Famously referring to himself as a “wide back” in San Francisco, Samuel may also see some backfield work. If nothing else, Washington figures to heavily involve the wideout/gadget cog significantly moving forward — perhaps in dusting off his run-game skillset at points. The recent trade acquisition has logged 255 carries (counting playoffs) during his seven-year career. This included a 19-yard rushing touchdown in Week 1.
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels Underwent MRI On Knee
Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels appeared to pick up an injury on a fourth-quarter tackle during Thursday night’s game against the Packers.
He didn’t leave the field and played all 69 of Washington’s offensive snaps in the 27-18 loss. The team evaluated his knee right after the game, per 106.7 The Fan’s Grant Paulsen, followed by an MRI on Friday morning.
The testing could just be precautionary, but it’s definitely a situation worth monitoring. Further reporting on the MRI results and Daniels’ practice status next week will be more indicative of a potential absence.
The Commanders have 10 days between their Week 2 and 3 contests, giving their star quarterback plenty of time to rest his knee. Should Daniels miss any time, No. 2 QB Marcus Mariota would start in his place with journeyman Josh Johnson elevated to a backup role.
Daniels started all 17 games as a rookie in 2024 with a 91% snap share. A rib injury – later revealed to be a fracture – knocked him out of the game in Week 7, but he didn’t miss any additional time. In fact, Daniels’ award-winning Hail Mary against the Bears came in the very next game with the 2024 No. 2 pick launching the ball downfield despite the rib injury.
After losing Austin Ekeler (Achilles) and Deatrich Wise (quad) to season-ending injuries on Thursday, the Commanders will be hoping that Daniels, by far their most important player, will not need to miss any time.
Unique Details In Recent WR Extensions
In the past few weeks, we’ve seen the Commanders and Packers agree to extensions with top receivers. Terry McLaurin was able to cease a hold-in after finally receiving a deal worth signing, while a recovering Christian Watson signed a deal pushing back his eventual free agency another year into the future. Each deal, though, held a unique aspect worth discussing. 
We already covered several details of the extension that adds $87MM of new money to the 29-year-old McLaurin’s deal. New information comes in the form of incentives and some structure in the timing of payments. In each year through 2028, he’ll have the same three performance incentives. 83 receptions will net him $300K, 1,097 yards will net him another $300K, 10 touchdowns will net him another $300K, and making the playoffs will double any of the qualified bonuses to $600K.
A Pro Bowl bid will earn McLaurin $250K extra in each season, but first- or second-team All-Pro honors would trigger a $500K escalator, increasing his salary in the following season by that amount. He’ll be able to get $500K in each of the three news seasons for participating in voluntary offseason workouts, and for the next four years, he’ll have the potential to make $850K per season in per game active roster bonuses.
What makes this deal interesting, as Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer points out, is that the language of the deal poses it more as a two-year commitment. There is a $5.35MM injury guarantee for the 2027 season, but it doesn’t vest until April 1 of that year, so that day becomes a deadline for deciding whether or not to exercise what essentially become team options in ’27 and ’28. McLaurin had been seeking a big raise, but Washington had balked at the idea of giving him $30MM per year. Essentially, McLaurin gets his big raise for the next two years but little security in the following two.
The Packers agreed to extend Watson as they wait for him to come off the reserve/physically unable to perform list. The deal, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, includes the opportunity to make up to $1.83MM in per game active roster bonuses and $2.25MM in incentives, not to mention workout bonuses in each of the next two seasons.
Where the deal gets interesting here is the team’s decision to add three effective voidable years from 2027-29. Whereas voidable years are often utilized to spread cap hits out over a longer amount of time, these void years increase Watson’s 2025 cap impact. Per Ken Ingalls of Sports Illustrated, the void years allow Green Bay to circumvent the 12-month renegotiation waiting period, allowing them to potentially work out another extension for Watson next season. Ingalls claims it also makes Watson’s contract easily tradable in the case that he asks for a bigger raise next year and the Packers refuse.
Both deals are interesting innovations as each franchise got creative in their attempts to keep their players happy in the moment, while keeping the teams’ financial futures intact. We’re sure to see continued evolution of how front offices confront and structure contracts in ways that have not often been seen.
Commanders DE Deatrich Wise Suffers Season-Ending Quad Injury
Austin Ekeler‘s presumed Achilles tear is not the only major injury the Commanders suffered Thursday night. Deatrich Wise is set to miss the remainder of the campaign. 
The veteran defensive end posted on Instagram Friday he is facing a lengthy recovery period after a quad injury saw him carted off the field. Shortly thereafter, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Wise’s injury will keep him out for the rest of the season. Surgery will be required, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Wise spent his first eight seasons with the Patriots, registering 63 starts over that span. The 31-year-old was among the players not retained by new head coach Mike Vrabel and Co., however. On the open market, he inked a one-year deal to head to Washington.
That $3.25MM pact included $2.35MM in guarantees, and Wise started each of his first two games with the Commanders. A notable workload would have remained the expectation in this case moving forward, but instead his attention will now turn to recovery. As a pending free agent, today’s news will obviously have significant and unwanted financial implications.
The Commanders’ defensive front underwent a number of changes this offseason, and Wise was joined by Jacob Martin and, later, Von Miller as a newcomer along the edge. Those two will be counted on to handle an increased workload moving forward. Wise has reached at least five sacks three times in a season, including the 2024 campaign. Another productive year would have helped the Commanders offset Dante Fowler‘s free agent departure while boosting the former fourth-rounder’s market value next spring.
The Commanders dropped to 1-1 with last night’s loss. Their offense will be shorthanded the rest of the way with Ekeler out of the picture, but Wise’s absence will deal a blow on the other side of the ball. Washington’s efforts to repeat last year’s success will include a key contributor along the edge sidelined after only a brief spell on the field.