The dog days of training camp are taking a toll on the Commanders’ defense.
Several defenders missed Wednesday’s training camp session, with tackle Jer’Zhan Newton drawing the most concern from coach Dan Quinn.
Newton was in New York on Wednesday to see a specialist for a pectoral injury. Depending on the results of the assessment, the third-year lineman could miss extended time.
“It could be,” Quinn said when asked if Newton’s injury was a long-term concern. “I’ll have an update later today. Anytime you see a specialist with a pec, it could be.”
Newton wasn’t the only notable absence. Edge rushers Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson were held out due to calf and knee injuries, respectively. Linebacker Jordan Magee missed practices on Tuesday and Wednesday due to a shoulder issue that arose during Friday’s exhibition against the Miami Dolphins.
Quinn noted that Magee, Chaisson and Oweh are expected to be ready for the season opener on Sept. 13 in Philadelphia.
“We’re just being smart on that front,” the coach said of the cautious approach to their recoveries.
Washington’s defensive depth has been tested throughout camp.
Cornerback Trey Amos, a 2025 second-rounder, has missed all but one practice due to an ankle injury.
Washington’s defenders might need name tags as newcomers like linebacker Krys Barnes, defensive tackle Maurice Hurst and cornerback Fabian Moreau take more and more snaps for the final two weeks of training camp.
Still, none of the current scrapes and strains on defense — apart from Newton’s pec — seem to be long-term problems. That lets Quinn highlight a silver lining for the players fighting for roster spots.
“With [Chaisson] and Oweh out, the lesson is, here’s the opportunity for some others. And then the second lesson is, that’s the opportunity, and what are you going to do with it?” Quinn said. “Although I don’t love injuries at all, I do like when people recognize there’s an opportunity.”
With Oweh and Chaisson sidelined, rookie edge rusher Joshua Josephs and third-year end Javontae Jean-Baptiste have anchored Washington’s first-team defensive line in practice.
General manager Adam Peters led a defensive overhaul after Washington finished among the league’s worst in points and yards allowed per game last season. The free agent acquisitions — from Oweh and Chaisson to lineman Charles Omenihu and linebacker Leo Chenal — have given the Commanders some much-needed depth amid the injuries.
“We’ve got a good group on the line, so no matter who’s out there, they’re going to play at a high level,” rookie linebacker Sonny Styles said. “You’ve got little things with certain guys, like how to play off of them, whatever it may be. But I don’t think it affects us a whole bunch. All of those guys play at a high level.”
On the other side of the ball, the offense welcomed back a pair of starters to practice this week. Center Nick Allegretti and tight end John Bates began their reintegration process, a gradual climb to lessen the risk of reaggravating injuries suffered early in camp.
“We do a ramp-up, for sure. What you don’t want is to be susceptible to a reinjury, not just to that body part, but something else based on not having enough training,” Quinn said. “There’s the treatment phase in rehab, then the return to play, then the on-field work.”
Allegretti is expected to become Washington’s starting center after transitioning from guard over the offseason. He strapped on pads, but played limited snaps during 11-on-11 sessions and didn’t work with the first team.
The pair have been hard at work during meetings and walkthroughs to stay up to speed with the new offense and help guide their teammates.
“He’s poured into me,” third-year tight end Ben Sinnott said of Bates.
“Nick has been incredible with me. He totally helped me out when he didn’t have to do that,” rookie center Matt Gulbin said Tuesday. “I sit next to him in unit meetings and I’ll just see how he takes a note, how he looks at everything from a broad perspective.”
Allegretti’s recovery timeline remains unclear. Backup Julian Good-Jones, who has played just two NFL snaps since joining the league in 2020, continued to work with star quarterback Jayden Daniels and the first-team offense on Wednesday.
Time is ticking for the injured and recovering Commanders to return to the field and hit their stride. Washington has less than a month before the opener.
The Commanders have two preseason games remaining: an exhibition in Detroit on Saturday before the finale in Baltimore on Aug. 28.
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