Should the Redskins choose to sit Landon Collins on Sunday vs. Giants?

Collins has been held out of practice for much of the week after complaining of soreness in his Achilles, but the coaches hope he will play.

The Washington Redskins have a major decision to make regarding one of their most valuable assets. No, it’s not Trent Williams, or Adrian Peterson, or even Dwayne Haskins. Rather, the focus now is on safety Landon Collins.

Collins, who signed a six-year, $84 million contract with the Redskins this offseason, has been dealing with soreness in his Achilles this past week and is in question to play this Sunday against the New York Giants. The 25-year-old has been held out of practice for most of the week, but head coach Bill Callahan expressed some confidence that the top-level defender — who was named as an alternate for the Pro Bowl this past week — would be able to play.

So, what are the arguments for and against playing on Sunday should he be deemed healthy by the team doctors? Let’s break them down.

Argument Against Collins Playing

Next to Alex Smith, Collins is the most expensive contract that the Redskins have on the books and any risk of injury when talking about such a valuable asset should be negated completely. If we were talking about a pivotal game late in the season that might have a chance to improve Washington’s postseason standings, then sure, it would behoove Collins to do everything in his power to get back on the field and show up for his teammates. However, we’re not talking about a must-win game; quite the opposite, actually.

It would be extremely beneficial for the Redskins to lose to the Giants on Sunday, as it would greatly improve their draft position for 2020 with New York currently sitting two picks in front of them in the order.

It also seems like a time in sports history where people are keenly aware of Achilles injuries, and when not to push them. Over the past year in the NBA, we’ve seen two Achilles-related injuries play a part in a teams’ future outlook, though one is largely more significant than the other. Former Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant went down in Game 5 of the NBA Finals with a ruptured Achilles tendon, and Portland Trailblazers forward Rodney Hood felt the tendon tear earlier this season as well. Both players had been complaining of soreness in the area, and in Durant’s case, he has sat out several weeks prior to the injury with a calf strain to the same leg.

Arguments For Collins Playing

There are none.

So when Landon Collins comes out and complains of soreness in his Achilles, but still looks to get ready for a meaningless game in December against another 3-11 team, what do you do?

We would choose to sit him down, but hey, that’s just us.

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