The Washington Commanders knew defensive tackle Johnny Newton underwent offseason foot surgery before the NFL draft. Newton injured his foot during his final college season at Illinois, but he still won the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award.
So, it was no surprise Friday that Newton was in a walking boot on the first day of rookie minicamp.
Washington head coach Dan Quinn spoke to the media on Saturday and discussed Newton’s injury.
“So, the foot that he had the procedure done is actually doing really well,” Quinn said. “So, he has an issue with the other foot. He’ll get a procedure done in the next week and then get back started and get going with the process again. But man, do we have high hopes for him? Like, he is such a kick-ass competitor. So, in some ways, when you have to get a procedure done, it’s better to do it early (so) that this didn’t happen in the end of August or in September, where it sets you back. So, the fact that it’s happening now, much better to get that organized first.”
Newton apparently went to the doctor to check up on the surgically repaired foot and learned that it was doing well, only for doctors to tell him he had a similar issue with his left foot.
It’s unclear if this happened before or after the draft. It’s clear the initial injury is why Newton dropped out of the first round, but there was no long-term concerns with the foot. However, would the Commanders have taken Newton if they knew there was a similar issue with the other foot?
Fans were concerned upon hearing this news. While this is a completely different regime, fans have seen Washington select injured players before, hoping for a steal, only for things not to work out.
Time will tell if Newton’s case is different. Quinn declined to give any sort of timeline on Newton’s return, which is smart.