The Washington Commanders’ Injury list is long going into Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Commanders are undefeated at home, beating the Chicago Bears 18-15, the Carolina Panthers 40-7, the Cleveland Browns 34-13, and the New York Giants 21-18. The Steelers, currently 6-2, come to Northwest Stadium ready to break that streak.
Meanwhile, Washington will hope their “next man up” mentality will lead to players rising to the occasion to replace injured players. The latest addition to the Commanders’ injury list is Cornerback Marshon Lattimore, coming to the team off the trading block and out for Sunday’s game. This may be their biggest test at home this season.
Commanders’ Injury List In-Depth
The Commanders reported on X Saturday they have 11 players on their injured list. Out of that list are some concerning names. Running Back Brian Robison Jr. is out again with a hamstring injury. He had limited practice Wednesday and Thursday and did not practice Friday. More than likely, the ground game will be shared among Quarterback Jayden Daniels, Running Backs Austin Eckler, Jeremy McNichols, and Chris Rodriquez Jr.
What will be missed is Robison’s power up the middle, so expect a large dose of the ground game to go outside most of Sunday’s game. However, with that much power to carry the ball, expect the first quarter to be the Commanders’ tuning fork for their ground game.
Another Commanders’ injury raising eyebrows on the list this week is Austin Seibert, who single-handedly saved Washington from going 0-2, scoring all the points in their Week 2 win vs. the Giants. Seibert is a breath of fresh air to the Commanders’ kicking game and brought stability to the position earlier this season when it was a round-robin for the job.
According to reports Seibert has been dealing with a right hip injury and missed Wednesday’s practice and was limited on Thursday and Friday. Seibert is almost perfection, he’s made an NFL-high 25 of 27 attempts this season, his longest at 55 yards. Washington may also be without Right Tackle Andrew Wylie, listed as questionable due to a shoulder injury.
Daniels Off Commanders’ Injury List
Even though he’s off the Commanders’ injury list, Commanders Quarterback Jayden Daniels is still a mystery as to how well he is. No one doubts if he can play through pain, but he’s been very passive in talking about his status. Thursday’s update to the media was the same.
Maybe it’s to prevent any forecast on his level of play or it’s just how he operates. Either way, the numbers don’t lie: He’s on a tear through the NFL as a rookie. In Sunday’s win against the Giants, he completed 21 for 321 yards with a touchdown. Daniels is also ranked 13th in the league with 1,945 total yards. Daniels told the media on Thursday his go-to statement: It’s day to day.
“I feel better. Obviously, it’s a progressive thing,” Daniels said. “Rest and time is the only thing that’s going to heal it. But other than that I feel good.” Staff has been working with Daniels on the sidelines between possessions, wrapping his ribs with warm towels to help ease any discomfort. Outside of that, Daniels has not sat out with any problems, and remaining focused on facing the Steelers is the priority. “You got to go out there and you got to compete,” Daniels said. “We all have a common goal and we want to put our best foot forward.”
The Commanders’ Injury Woes Is Concerning
Daniels’ impact on the Commanders’ offense is uncanny. He has only turnovers in 524 plays this season. He hasn’t thrown an interception since Week 5 against the Browns. The Commanders have three turnovers on the season, and it’s Week 10. When it comes to putting that best foot forward on Sunday, hopefully, it will be the healthiest feet on the field. In their 30-23 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6, having Robinson on the Commanders’ injury list cost them. Hopefully, that will not be the case again. Otherwise, fans will finally get a dose of what a Commanders’ loss at home, under the Daniels’ era will look like.