Ryan Kerrigan’s streak of 139 starts will come to an end on Sunday

It looks like Ryan Kerrigan’s impressive streak of starts will come to an end on Sunday.

Since being drafted in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft, Ryan Kerrigan has been an iron man for the Washington Redskins. He has never missed a start, appearing in 139 straight games, and has totaled 89 career sacks.

However, it appears that his streak will be coming to an end on Sunday.

Kerrigan has been absent from practice all week after suffering a concussion late in last week’s win over the Detroit Lions. With him remaining in the NFL’s concussion protocol for so long, it seemed highly unlikely that he would be able to suit up against the Carolina Panthers. And the team confirmed as much on their final injury report.

More from Riggo's Rag

• Highlighting the best Commanders 2023 NFL Draft betting props
• 3 late Commanders rumors drawing buzz ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft
• 4 bold predictions for the Commanders 2023 NFL Draft
• Commanders News: Chase Young trade, draft day, CB riser and Sam Howell
• Bet365 VA Bonus Code – Claim $200 Guaranteed With Sign-Up Bonus 

This is unfortunate for Kerrigan, as his streak was one of the most impressive in the NFL. It’s rare to see a defensive player stay healthy for that long and to Kerrigan’s credit, he played through a lot of minor, nagging injuries to keep this streak alive. But for obvious reasons, he can’t play through this concussion.

With Kerrigan set to miss the game against the Panthers, the Redskins will likely start Montez Sweat and Ryan Anderson at the edge rush positions and the recently-signed Carroll Phillips and Nate Orchard will be the primary backups.

That said, the team could negate the absence of Kerrigan by playing a lot more four-man fronts, something they already do, and choosing to play Jonathan Allen or Matt Ioannidis on the outside a bit more.

Either way, this game against the Panthers will be a good look at life without Kerrigan will look like. It’s not something the Redskins have had to deal with since 2010. But ahead of what could be an important offseason where the team will have to make a decision about their veterans including the 31-year-old Kerrigan, this will be a good litmus test for their young defensive line and edge rush.

Kerrigan’s impressive streak deserves quite a bit of praise. And Redskins fans should be grateful for his consistent effort and performance over the course of the past decade. It’s a shame to see the streak come to an end, but 139 games in a row for a defensive player is certainly nothing to sneeze at.