Outside of Dan Quinn’s T-shirt, rookie defensive tackle Johnny Newton’s foot injury was the talk of last weekend for the Washington Commanders.
Newton appeared at rookie minicamp with a boot on his foot. That wasn’t a shock, as Newton had surgery in January to repair a Jones fracture in his foot. Jones suffered the injury sometime during the 2023 season at Illinois and still won the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award.
However, the shock was that Newton needed surgery on the other foot. According to Quinn, the doctor discovered Newton had a similar condition in the opposite foot and would need surgery.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Newton underwent successful surgery on Monday, and the Commanders hope he’ll be cleared in time for Week 1.
Sources: #Commanders 2nd-round pick Johnny Newton underwent successful surgery on his Jones fracture yesterday at HSS in New York City.
The surgery was done by Dr. O’Malley. Washington is optimistic that Newton will make a full recovery before the regular season. pic.twitter.com/8p1Hepx9y2
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) May 14, 2024
This is far from ideal and leads to the question: Did Washington know about the injury on the opposite foot? It would explain why Newton fell out of the first round when everyone considered him a first-round talent.
Regardless, there is good news here. Newton was almost fully recovered from the first surgery in January, which bodes well for the most recent surgery. Also, the Commanders have Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne and John Ridgeway at defensive tackle. Washington also has Phidarian Mathis and Efe Obada, who can play inside or outside, so there is no need to rush Newton’s recovery.