A bad night for the Washington Commanders offense got even worse in the fourth quarter of “Thursday Night Football,” with running back Austin Ekeler getting carted off with a non-contact injury.
The injury occurred when the 30-year-old attempted to cut upfield on a pass play, immediately fell to the ground and clutched his right calf. The Commanders soon announced he had suffered an Achilles injury.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter later reported the Commanders believe Ekeler tore his Achilles and will have him undergo further imaging on Friday to confirm.
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A major injury for Ekeler — and there are few Achilles injuries that aren’t major — would massively shake up the Commanders’ running back depth chart. The veteran led the Commanders running backs room in Week 1 with 33 snaps on offense, ahead of rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt and journeyman Jeremy McNichols.
Croskey-Merritt, a seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, is now positioned to be the top backfield option after posting 82 rushing yards and a touchdown in Washington’s season opener, though it was McNichols who got the snaps on the Commanders’ final drive in a 27-18 loss.
As for Ekeler, the injury comes at a particularly bad time considering he was already coming off a 2024 season in which he sustained multiple concussions and finished with 733 yards from scrimmage, his lowest total since his rookie year.
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