There was some initial pessimism around Jeremy Chinn's involvement this weekend against the Philadelphia Eagles. The standout safety provided surprising hope he could feature with a reassuring development on the health front.
Chinn left last weekend's win at the New Orleans Saints and entered the league's concussion protocol alongside veteran tight end Zach Ertz. This added more woes for the Commanders at the worst possible time.
Nothing was dismissed one way or another, but the Commanders will go through the process before coming to a decisive outcome. The former second-round selection would be sorely missed if unavailable. Even so, the initial signs at practice this week left reasons for encouragement.
Jeremy Chinn's surprising practice participation gives Commanders a boost
To the shock of media members in attendance, Chinn was spotted wearing a helmet at practice and went through drills during the portion open to the media. This might have been overshadowed by defensive tackle Jonathan Allen's return from a long absence, but it's a significant development nonetheless.
Good to see Commanders safety Jeremy Chinn at practice today.
— Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) December 18, 2024
He's in the concussion protocol. His status for Sunday's game is up in the air. pic.twitter.com/btLIsDqD7n
The Commanders took things slowly with Chinn, who did work with the strength team in pursuit of hitting the markers needed to feature this weekend. He's got a couple more days to get through before his official injury status is revealed. However, this left a glimmer of hope.
Chinn is headed to the side field to work with strength coaches. https://t.co/fYMGIrTKBz
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) December 18, 2024
Chinn's enjoyed a bounce-back season in Washington after leaving the Carolina Panthers. He came to the Commanders with a big point to prove, playing with the explosive urgency that saw him take the league by storm as a rookie. There are some deficiencies in coverage as expected. It's been a pretty pleasing contribution overall aside from that.
If Chinn can prove his fitness and suit up at Northwest Stadium, the better Washington's chances will be.
The Southern Illinois product's best work comes at the second level against the run. His presence would be a major asset versus running back Saquon Barkley, who's in the NFL MVP conversation and is a difficult proposition to stop once early momentum is generated.
It'll be worth monitoring Chinn's progress in the coming days. The Commanders won't risk him unless they're 100 percent satisfied. If he's unable to participate, it would leave the Commanders with Quan Martin, Darrick Forrest, Percy Butler, and Tyler Owens as their safety options.
Chinn won't want to miss any football at this late stage of the season. Washington is in playoff contention and the defensive back is looking for a new deal. He'll be pushing hard, but he won't be risked if the Commanders feel like it will do more harm than good.
In an ideal world, it would be all hands on deck for the Commanders in a crucial divisional matchup. That's not the case, but Chinn's participation would help soften the blow.