The Washington Commanders have been bitten by the injury bug once again this season. But just when head coach Dan Quinn needed a morale boost at 1-3 with two weeks left until the bye, some good news emerged.
Washington confirmed that cornerback Trey Amos, defensive lineman Deatrich Wise Jr., and running back Jeremy McNichols have all had their 21-day return windows opened after four games on injured reserve. That doesn't mean they will return this weekend, but it does mean the trio is far enough along to practice.
With quarterback Jayden Daniels, right guard Sam Cosmi, and maybe even wide receiver Terry McLaurin set to feature versus the New York Giants, things are slowly looking up.
Commanders now have some nice problems after triple injury boost
The more bodies Washington has, the better.
Things are teetering on the brink, so established players getting back into the mix will only help. Long-term concerns remain, most recently with wide receiver Jaylin Lane, but this is a positive amid the doom and gloom.
Amos is easily the most important.
The 2025 second-round pick was expected to start at cornerback until an ankle injury in his second practice back at training camp put that initially on hold. Washington erred on the side of caution, but the decision-makers now feel comfortable getting him involved.
That could be massive as we move further along.
It would be surprising if he featured this week. But seeing him suit up against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football is feasible.
Commanders' injury bug is fading slightly after so much doom and gloom
Wise has been out since Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers last season. He missed the entire summer program, so it's unclear how long it will take the run-stopping force to find his football legs again. But when he does, it's another dependable asset for a defense that's improved dramatically since switching to a 3-4 front.
Where McNichols fits into the equation is anyone's guess. The Commanders have Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rachaad White, sixth-round rookie Kaytron Allen, and Austin Ekeler in their backfield unit. Five running backs seems like a lot, but given his value on special teams, someone might get cut.
And it'll be interesting to see what direction the Commanders take.
These are problems. But after so much injury hardship over the last two years, they are nice problems to have.
It'll be intriguing to watch how these pieces fit into the Commanders' plans. Quinn and general manager Adam Peters will have their thoughts, but everyone must be aligned. And if that means upsetting some already on the roster for the price of progress, so be it.
But the time for half-measures has long passed.
Seeing Amos, Wise, and McNichols back at practice represented a real boost. It won't solve every problem, but the Commanders instantly got a lot stronger.
And that's the main thing.
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