During his Friday press conference, head coach Dan Quinn revealed some positive news about the Washington Commanders’ injury situation. Running back Austin Ekeler had cleared concussion protocol and would return for Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns.
Also, starting running back Brian Robinson Jr. was “trending in the right way” for Week 5 after missing two days of practice with a knee injury.
Unfortunately, the Commanders will be without two key contributors.
Starting defensive end Clelin Ferrell will miss a third consecutive game with a knee injury. Ferrell had a sack in each of Washington’s first two games.
Ferrell appears close to a return and Quinn doesn’t believe he’ll need a stint on the reserve/injured list.
“There’s none, and he’s doing well man, and just the fact we’re always going to just do the best we can for these guys, and then they can absolutely do their thing at full speed,” Quinn said. “It was awesome to have him back here at practice and, so he is definitely trending in the right space, but just not quite there just yet. But he really had a good week.”
Wide receiver Noah Brown, who signed late in the summer, will also be out for Sunday. Brown has been excellent for the Commanders, catching nine passes for 111 yards in his three games and been outstanding as a blocker.
“Yeah, and we’re bummed that Noah won’t make it in for this week because he’s added a lot to our team,” Quinn said of Brown. “We’ll miss Noah for sure, man. He not only is on the pass game, but the run game, the size, he’s really made his impact so far.”
Brown’s absence could mean more opportunities for Dyami Brown and Luke McCaffrey.