The Commanders lost much more than just a game on Thursday night after latest injury update to a major piece of the offense
The Commanders take a tough blow with a season-ending injury.
Thursday Night Football turned into Thursday Nightmare Football for the Washington Commanders after taking an ugly 27-18 loss that couldn’t have gone worse. It was a lackluster performance from all three phases of the team, and a real loss in a test against the Packers, who look like the best team in the NFC.
The team suffered many more losses during the actual game itself as Detrich Wise left the game on the cart in the second quarter, and the injuries didn’t stop there. Starting running back Austin Ekeler went down with an Achilles injury, and the worst outcome has been confirmed.
Ekeler is out for the season
The offense suffered a major blow, losing Ekeler for the season due to a torn Achilles tendon. Ekeler contributed in many ways to the Commanders and leaves tough shoes to fill. Reports are that rookie RB Bill Croskey-Merritt will be the new RB1 moving forward.
This impacts the run game obviously, but also a major part of the passing game that was already struggling. Ekeler was the fifth leading receiver on the team last season, and looked to be a key factor on offense as the lead back to start the season. He had eight carries before his injury, which is double what Croskey-Merritt had, and had four targets to go with it.
The Commanders couldn’t establish the run against a stout Packers defense, and now they will need someone else to step up with Ekeler out for the year. You can’t just replace what Ekeler did for the team, though. He was a true do-it-all player who could be a threat in the run game, passing game, and return kicks as well. His veteran leadership and IQ already popped this season.
Next moves to fill Ekeler’s spot
In addition to Croskey-Merritt being elevated to RB1, the Commanders have many options when it comes to filling in the available roster spot, including Chris Rodriguez Jr, who has been inactive in the first two games. They could also call up rookie running back Donovan Edwards from the practice squad, who can provide juice in the run game and also serve as a real receiving threat.
General Manager Adam Peters also cleared just over $14 million in salary cap space after converting the contract of left tackle Laremy Tunsil on Thursday. This leaves them the opportunity to sign another free agent or trade for an available running back. They desperately need a playmaker, whether that is Croskey-Merritt or someone not on the team.
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