Commanders dealing with laundry list of injuries entering Week 7 originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The Washington Commanders, once again, will be down multiple starters for Sunday’s tilt against the Green Bay Packers, as injuries continue to pile up.
Tight end Logan Thomas (calf) and cornerback William Jackson III (back) were ruled out for Sunday’s game after not practicing all week. Two depth players — WR Dyami Brown and RB Jonathan Williams — were both deemed out, too.
Of course, the Commanders will also be down starting quarterback Carson Wentz, who’s out indefinitely after undergoing surgery on a fractured finger on his throwing hand earlier this week. Wentz will be inactive on Sunday; the club has yet to determine whether to place the quarterback on injured reserve.
Head coach Ron Rivera told reporters Friday that Wentz has “had a couple of good days” since the surgery, but his timeline will depend on what the doctors say. The quarterback had surgery in Los Angeles and is set to return to the team on Friday. Taylor Heinicke, who started 15 games for Washington last fall, gets the nod at quarterback this Sunday vs. Green Bay.
Heinicke might not have the usual cast of skill players at his disposal. Rookie standout Jahan Dotson, who’s missed the last two games with a hamstring injury, is questionable for Sunday’s contest after appearing to reaggravate the injury during practice on Thursday. He did not participate in Friday’s session.
“He felt pretty good [Friday] morning,” Rivera said on Dotson. “Worked him out a little bit, had him do some things. We’ll see how he is tomorrow, that’s why he’s questionable.”
Rivera said the team plans to be “very cautious” with Dotson’s injury, later adding: “We’re gonna most certainly think about being on the safe side as opposed to trying to force a guy out there.”
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Tight end John Bates, who if healthy will start in place of the injured Thomas, is also questionable with a hamstring injury. Bates was limited in practice on Friday after being unable to participate the two days prior.
“John had a good day [Friday]. He really did,” Rivera said. “He actually told me [he felt] a lot better than last week and actually a lot better than it was on Tuesday. He’s feeling pretty good. We’ll see how it is [Saturday] morning and we’ll get him out there on Sunday, early, and try and see how he is.”
If Bates is unable to go, the Commanders will rely on a pair of rookies at tight end in Cole Turner and Armani Rogers.
The Commanders have one more player that’s questionable for Sunday’s game: right tackle Sam Cosmi. The 2021 second-rounder missed Washington’s past two games with a finger injury but has been a limited participant in practice all week.
Whether Cosmi will be able to play versus Green Bay on Sunday largely depends on his ability to play with a club on his injured hand. Rivera said Cosmi is trying to get comfortable wearing the club but he doesn’t believe the tackle is dealing with any more pain in the finger. Veteran Cornelius Lucas will start if Cosmi can’t suit up.
