Preparations have officially ramped up for the Washington Commanders' regular-season opener against the New York Giants. Players and coaches got onto the practice field after a short break over the long weekend, and expectations are high that they can hit the ground running in front of a sold-out crowd at Northwest Stadium.
The Commanders have a relatively clean bill of health entering the contest, which is encouraging. Stud right guard Sam Cosmi will miss the first four games and possibly more as he continues his recovery from a torn ACL. Although disappointing, head coach Dan Quinn remains encouraged about the former Texas star's progress throughout a grueling rehabilitation period.
Aside from that, there are no long-term issues. And the first injury report before Week 1 provided fans with another encouraging development they were craving.
Commanders continue to see positive progress from Noah Brown before Week 1
There was enormous concern when wide receiver Noah Bown got carted off at mandatory minicamp. The Commanders took their time with the pass-catcher over the summer, eager to avoid further issues and ensure he is primed for Week 1. He's expected to play an important role once again in 2025, so taking every possible precaution was crucial.
Brown looked sharp during a pre-game workout before Washington's warmup finale against the Baltimore Ravens. That was another positive step in the right direction, which only heightened hope that he would be ready to go when the real action arrived.
The Commanders listed Brown as a limited participant with a knee problem during Wednesday's practice on their first injury report of the week. This is the most encouraging update yet, so all signs point to the former Ohio State standout being in the starting lineup for Washington's crucial regular-season opener.
It's not a full workload, but nobody expected it to be. The fact that he got some work in cannot be seen as anything other than positive.
Player | Practice status |
|---|---|
TE Zach Ertz | DNP (Rest) |
DE Dorance Armstrong Jr. | Limited (Knee) |
WR Noah Brown | Limited (Knee) |
CB Jonathan Jones | Limited (Hamstring) |
PK Matt Gay | Full (Illness) |
QB Marcus Mariota | Full (Achillies) |
With wide receiver Terry McLaurin working hard to get back into genuine football shape after his summer-long contract standoff finally reached a successful outcome, Brown's health is even more important. Having Deebo Samuel Sr. will help, but experience early in the season over the likes of Jaylin Lane and Luke McCaffrey is desirable.
Brown seems to be hitting all his markers. Those in attendance at practice were suitably impressed with his explosiveness and fluidity. Providing there are no setbacks in the coming days, it's all systems go for Week 1.
It might not be Brown's typical workload. It might not be McLaurin's either. But if offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury can share the wealth effectively, they'll give an outstanding Giants defense all they can handle.
So far, so good.