Commanders make MULTIPLE Moves... MAJOR Injury Updates | Washington Commanders News

Tuesday morning, Javon Kinlaw had surgery, and by Wednesday, the commanders knew his season was over. And here's the part that should scare you more. The Commanders lost an even bigger name on the defensive line. Two starters, $135 million in contracts, both done for the year, in the same week. But the Kinlaw news is the one that no one saw coming, and the one that changes how this defense can be. So let's start there. Tuesday, the Commanders placed Kinlaw on injured reserves. Next did Darren Payne and running back Jeremy McNichols. But quickly, before we get into all this, if you want to stay up to date with everything to do around the Commanders for completely free, make sure to go down and hit that free subscribe button so you get to stay up to date with everything to do around the team. Ben Standig called Kinlaw the surprise of the three, because he had been dealing with a knee injury. Surprise, because nobody said it was this bad. Then came the news that changed everything. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Kinla underwent surgery to repair an MCL injury and that he'll miss the remainder of the season. And Wednesday, Dan Quinn confirmed it, saying Kinlaw, Payne, and McNichols are likely out for the season. That is a torn MCL and a season gone for a player this team gave $45 million for three years to. And notice the wording on this, a surgery, not a scan. This was a team that did not want to rush a knee injury because that's what ends up happening when you look back to November and a one year injury turns into two. But to understand how this got so bad, let's go back to October 19th. The Commanders lost 23 to 17 to the 49ers. And that's where Kinlaw reportedly hurt his knee. Then on October 28th, he did not practice. Quinn said it would likely be tough for him to play that Sunday. Sunday, he was inactive against the Eagles. Payne was inactive too. Both starters out on the same night. Tuesday, injured reserves. Tuesday, surgery. John Kim of ESPN put it in one line. This was the fear with Kinlaw. Now it's reality. And think of what this means. This was not a freak accident. This was a two-week bleed that ended up going into being on an operation table. And if you know Kinlaw's story, this is a cruel one because he's been here before. The 49ers rookie deal was $15.48 million, all of it guaranteed. A top 15 pick is supposed to be the start of something. The 49ers took him 14th overall in the 2020 draft, out of South Carolina, where he was a first-team All-American in 2019. As a rookie, 14 games, 12 starts, 33 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and an interception. He made the all-rookie team, and then the injuries started. He went on injured reserves in 2021 after just four games, and again in 2022 after six. He rebuilt it in 2023 with the 49ers, 17 games, 3.5 sacks, and went to the Jets in 2024 on a one-year deal. The Jets year was the best he ever had. 14 starts, 40 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. Oh, the Commanders saw this and bet on him. March 14th, 2025, a 3-year deal worth up to $45 million with 30 mil guaranteed. His first year in Washington, he started all 17 games, with 43 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble, but 0 sacks. He was even ejected in Week 16 last year for throwing a punch in a brawl. This is how much he plays on the edge of the line. Add it all up and the career line is 81 games, 68 starts, 166 tackles, and 10.5 sacks. That is a good player that has not stayed healthy enough to go from good to a great player. And in 2023, 1 sack and 13 tackles in 6 starts. The team is paying this guy to have as many sacks as you can count on one hand. And then there's Payne, the other half of the middle. Payne is the longest tenured star of this front. Washington took him 13th overall in 2018 out of Alabama and national champion. In 2022, he had 11.5 sacks and made the Pro Bowl. This is a defensive tackle producing like an edge rusher. Since then, four sacks in 2023, four in 2024, and three in 2025. Not the same rush, but 124 career starts of being the man in the middle. In March 2023, they put the franchise tag on him and then signed him to a four-year, $90 million extension. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Payne suffered a season-ending injury fracture in his left foot in practice on Friday, October 30th. He went on the injury report as questionable for Sunday, then was ruled out hours later. And this is the last year of his four-year, $90 million deal. Commanders are 2-4-1, and the trade deadline is November 10th. Dan Graziano had named Payne the top trade candidate. Others wrote the injury likely takes him out of the play there for the Commanders and other teams. So that door for Payne just closed and now he heads into free agency with a foot that was just broken. If you add up the list of starters out for the season, it reads McLaurin, Payne, and Kinlaw. Three starters, and two of them are the interior of the defense. But here's the twist. They've already played a game without two of them. Sunday night against the Eagles. No Payne, no Kinlaw, and the Commanders won 27-10. And they held the Eagles to 91 rushing yards on 29 carries. Settle Jr. played 42 snaps, 61%. Tuttle played 32, which was 46%. And Coart, elevated from the practice squad, played 11, 16%. And Quinn liked what he saw. I liked what that looked like of guys setting edges. So the first answer is the floor held, but can this do this for 10 more games? Because Coart went back to the practice squad Monday. So the Commanders are signing defensive tackle Ricky Barber from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. And the real hope is Newton, who goes by Johnny, still inside his 21-day practice window after injured reserves. He tore his pectoral in the preseason finale, so this has been a long road back for the third-year tackle. Quinn spoke on Wednesday. The arrow is going up. Very optimistic for sure. He's in crazy shape. Now it's a matter of getting his techniques ready to go. He wants Newton to stack another good week of practice first. So the plan for the middle of the defense is a tackle that hasn't played yet a tackle from the practice squad and two veterans that are being relied on for all the snaps. And that is how a group that held the Eagles to 91 rushing yards can look completely different in two weeks. And Sunday doesn't make things easier as the Rams come in with two backs that are hot. Blake Corum ran for 73 yards on 11 carries against the Chargers, after 93 yards the week before against the Raiders. And he scored a rushing or receiving touchdown in four straight games. Byron Williams, over his last five games, has 74 carries for 334 yards and five rushing touchdowns. Corum said the Raiders' whole approach from Sean McVay is stamina. This is the problem when your rotation is a group of tackles who already carry the load. And this is where losing Payne and Kinlaw become less of a story and more of a game plan. And here is why the timing is so bad. Look at the next stretch of games. The Commanders are 2-4-1. They started 0-2, their first 0-2 start since 2019. They lost 17-23 to San Francisco on October 19th, the game Kinlaw got hurt in. Then they came back off the bye week to beat the Eagles 27-10. Next, the Rams on Sunday, November 8th at 1pm. Then a short week, Thursday, November 12th at the Giants on Prime Video. And the Giants lead the NFC East at 4-2-1. The Commanders are two games behind them, with two tackles gone and a short week coming. And you add the rest of the injured list. McLaurin, Nichols, Lane, all of the injured reserves along the two tackles. That is two weeks of football with no margin of error for a team that is bleeding its two best interior players. Now the part that no one is speaking about where Kinlaw is signed for 2027. A base salary of $12.9 million, not guaranteed, a cap of $16.9 million, which puts you in a real decision this offseason. Do you rehab this knee and bring him back or look to move on from him after only one sack this season? Because the Commanders bet that Kinlaw was the answer next to Payne. Now both guys are out with one with a broken foot and the other one having an MCL tear. Now the interior relies on new players and veterans. We get a look at what this is going to be like on Sunday in a major test. So whatever happens on Sunday, this front office going into free agency is going to be asking themselves the same question. Was he the answer? But let me know down in the comments who is the most important defensive tackle for the rest of the season. What is your guys thoughts on this season as a whole and I want to give a huge shout out to everyone watching this and hello my name is Mark Bai. Welcome to Commander's Digest and if you enjoyed it hit that free subscribe button. 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