Injuries are all part of the NFL's violent nature. But for the Washington Commanders, the bug has bitten them harder than any other franchise this season.
Their Week 9 prime-time showdown with the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football was no exception. All the spotlight went onto quarterback Jayden Daniels, who dislocated his left elbow when he should have been on the sidelines. He's expected to miss extended time, but the dynamic signal-caller wasn't the only one who suffered health problems during another evening to forget.
Cornerback Marshon Lattimore looked despondent after being ruled out with a knee injury. And this all started when Luke McCaffrey suffered a game-ending shoulder complication on the opening kickoff, removing another productive wideout and prolific returner from the equation.
There was concern around McCaffrey, and with good reason. According to Ian Rapoport from the NFL Network, the 2024 third-round pick out of Rice broke his collarbone during the collision. The Commanders are placing him on injured reserve, with the respected insider also revealing it's likely to be season-ending.
It's another body blow to a receiver room that was threadbare at best, even before this unfortunate development. Terry McLaurin could be out until after the bye week. Noah Brown hasn't been seen since Week 2 and could be out for much longer. With Daniels out and now McCaffrey, it's hard to envision how the Commanders are going to get anything going offensively.
This is such a shame for McCaffrey. He's flashed as a pass-catcher this season, although there remains some reluctance from Kliff Kingsbury to get him heavily involved. The second-year pro was also emerging as one of the league's most prolific kick returners, ranking second in yards gained and entering strong consideration for Pro Bowl or even All-Pro honors in this discipline if the same trend continued.
Sadly, that won't be the case. McCaffrey now joins a crowded treatment room in Washington. He'll be aiming to get back quickly, but the Commanders have the luxury of being cautious. They are playing for nothing other than pride, so risking additional harm doesn't seem wise.
McCaffrey still has a decent future ahead of him with a full recovery. The Commanders always saw him as a work in progress, but the encouraging signs this season represent a solid foundation from which to build. This represents a bump in the road, but the wideout is hungry and determined enough to bounce back.
When that'll be is the big question. But fans shouldn't expect to see McCaffrey until preparations for the 2026 campaign commence.