Head coach Dan Quinn looks like a man feeling the strain right now.
The Washington Commanders' standards slipped both before and during their preseason loss to the Detroit Lions, and Quinn made that clear to his squad. They are also dealing with several injury issues among key personnel, which is not ideal with Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles drawing ever closer.
And when Quinn was asked about the status of two players expected to play influential roles this season, the look on his face spoke a thousand words.
Dan Quinn's telling sigh did nothing to ease Commanders' injury fears
According to JP Finlay of NBC Sports, Quinn let out a notable sigh when discussing the injuries to cornerback Trey Amos and edge rusher Odafe Oweh. He didn't offer a definitive timeline for their return, but acknowledged that both are working hard to get themselves back into the lineup.
To say this is worrying would be an understatement.
Dan Quinn was asked about Commanders defensive starters missing time in Odafe Oweh and Trey Amos and he let out a sigh, said there's no real timeline but added: "They're both working hard and making progress."
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) August 25, 2026
The Commanders placed a significant wager on Oweh, identifying him as their primary target in free agency. General manager Adam Peters had to offer a four-year, $96 million deal with a $26 million signing bonus and $68 million guaranteed to get his guy, and the impression left this offseason left even more reasons for encouragement.
Oweh's momentum came to a halt. He sustained a calf injury that wasn't perceived as too serious, but it's perhaps taken him longer to get right than initially expected. Quinn's sketchy comments don't exactly raise hope, either.
Then, there is Amos, which is a much more frustrating saga.
Trey Amos is a much bigger concern for Commanders than Odafe Oweh
The 2025 second-round pick saw his encouraging rookie campaign cut short by a fractured fibula. Amos spent months on the shelf before finally getting the all-clear to ramp things up at training camp. He lasted just one practice before sustaining an ankle sprain and hasn't been seen since.
Amos was expected to play a significant role this season. But even if he does get back in time for Washington's opener at Lincoln Financial Field, there is no chance the Ole Miss product will be ready for a full workload.
With five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil out with a torn triceps, defensive lineman Johnny Newton suffering a torn pectoral, and several others also dealing with issues, the injury bug is biting Washington again.
And with the margins expected to be finer than ever this season, it's a scenario Quinn was looking to avoid.
Hopefully, the Commanders are just being cautious.
There is still time for Oweh and Amos to prove their fitness. The same goes for projecting starting center Nick Allegretti, who strained his calf on the first day of training camp and felt tightness in the complication during his initial ramp-up process.
All Quinn can do is trust his medical staff and hope for the best. But if it takes the injured cavalry a little longer to get back, so be it.
Week 1 is the goal, and that hasn't changed.
There is way more concern around Amos than Oweh. But with the Commanders desperately needing to bounce back from their torrid five-win campaign last time out, they can ill afford any more established starters missing time.
It's a wait-and-see scenario. But it's clearly frustrating Quinn.
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