WASHINGTON — When the Washington Commanders take the field Sunday in Florida to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they will do it without their most veteran quarterback, and perhaps their most potential-filled defensive tackle.
In the final injury report of the week, the Commanders ruled out quarterback Marcus Mariota who has been dealing with a chest injury and was limited in practice Wednesday, followed by two days of non-participation leading to the decision to sit him this weekend.
Another player who has been dealing with an injury is defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton. After having foot surgery during the pre-draft process, Newton had to have another that cost him his rookie minicamp, all of OTAs and the mandatory minicamp before training camp. Unfortunately, after getting back for just two practices, Newton suffered an unrelated soft tissue injury in one of his feet and hasn’t been seen on a fully competitive field since.
The standout rookie from Illinois was able to practice in limited fashion twice this week and did not participate on Thursday at all. His status entering the weekend is doubtful, and we anticipate he’ll likely be a gameday inactive, though head coach Dan Quinn hasn’t ruled anything out just yet.
"We're not gonna rule him out, we're gonna take him into Sunday,” Quinn said Friday. “But it was good to get him some team reps today and feel into that. So, haven't ruled him out, but we're still gonna work him on Sunday as well."
One key player who will dress and play is rookie left tackle Brandon Coleman, who has earned the starting job for Washington, but hasn’t been able to participate as much since suffering a shoulder injury. That injury cost him the entire preseason slate of games, but Quinn says he’ll dress and play against the Buccaneers on Sunday. He won’t be the only left tackle playing for the Commanders as the plan is both Coleman and veteran Cornelius Lucas will get snaps against Tampa Bay.
“We're planning on that,” Quinn said about the idea that both tackles will play. “But Brandon's really done a remarkable job coming back and I would say he was close to being ready for the third preseason game. We just we made the decision, 'Hey, this is not the space and the time to go push it into this spot,' knowing we had time to come. But he's absolutely ready to let it rip."
What Quinn didn’t say is exactly how they plan on getting both men involved in the game. Some have speculated a rotation may be coming, but there’s also the possibility that Lucas will start at left tackle and Coleman will be part of some big or goal line sets where additional linemen are usually brought in to help cover blocking assignments.
Either way, Coleman will play in his first NFL game “for sure,” according to Quinn.
Defensive linemen Clelin Ferrell (knee), Dante Fowler Jr. (knee), Daron Payne (back), and offensive tackle Trent Scott (knee) were also listed on the injury report, but are absent of a game designation, signaling they’ve all been cleared to play in Week 1 against the Buccaneers.
Don't forget to join WUSA9 hosts Chick Hernandez and Wisdom Martin Sunday at 11:30 a.m. for the ultimate pregame experience: the Commanders Kickoff. This show delivers comprehensive coverage and insider insights to prepare you for the gridiron battles ahead.