It's been a long, arduous season for the Washington Commanders. They've had a laundry list of problems, but the biggest, by a considerable margin, centers on their numerous injuries throughout the campaign.
The Commanders have suffered more health issues than most. Head coach Dan Quinn has tried to ride the wave, but it has not been easy. However, things are slowly becoming more encouraging, although it won't be enough to salvage anything from the season.
And another confirmed player returning will tell fans a lot about how others in the receiver room are perceived by those in power.
Noah Brown's return makes Commanders' receiver dynamic interesting
Noah Brown has been seldom seen for the Commanders this season. The wide receiver suffered a knee injury at Washington's mandatory minicamp that never looked right. He made it back for the team's season opener, but lasted just two games before an ankle complication put him on the shelf.
Brown tried to get back sooner than expected, but the lack of progress forced the Commanders to place him on injured reserve. That gave him the correct time to heal fully, and the signs were encouraging enough in practice this week to activate him for Week 14 against the Minnesota Vikings.
It'll be interesting to see what the Commanders have planned for Brown, especially after so long away from the gridiron. Giving him a full workload seems highly unlikely. He'll probably be on a snap count, but who he comes in for will be much more telling.
And it won't be Terry McLaurin or Deebo Samuel Sr.
Treylon Burks is finally starting to build back confidence. Rookie fourth-rounder Jaylin Lane does his best work from the slot. Chris Moore doesn't seemingly have much of a future with the club beyond 2025, and he saw his snap percentage decrease to 27.8 when McLaurin came back in Week 13.
Everyone is auditioning, aside from McLaurin. That also goes for Samuel, who's made an outstanding impression this season and could get another commitment from the franchise with a strong end to the campaign. The others, apart from Lane, are out of contract, so every rep and every target matters.
Brown is also vying for a new deal. He's got the trust of Washington's coaching staff, but his health reliability is a massive issue. The Commanders are going to give him a shot, but if this comes at the expense of someone like Burks, it might not be well-received among the fan base.
Time will tell on that. But either way, this weekend will be the strongest Washington's offensive lineup has looked all season long. That can only mean good things moving forward.