The Washington Commanders were busy on Tuesday, placing three players on injured reserve. Running back Jeremy McNichols (foot) and defensive tackle Daron Payne (foot) were ruled out for the season after recent injuries. Defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw injured his MCL in the Week 6 game at San Francisco and was also placed on injured reserve.
On Wednesday, more bad news for the Commanders: Kinlaw’s stint on IR would not be short-term. He underwent season-ending surgery on his knee on Wednesday. That means Washington will be without its top two starting defensive linemen and run stoppers for the remainder of the season.
Third-year defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton’s 21-day IR window opened last week, and he is nearing a return. The Commanders elevated
veteran defensive tackle Byron Cowart from the practice squad for last Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles, and he did play. But with Payne and Kinlaw out for the season, Washington went a different route to replace him on the 53-man roster, signing second-year DT Ricky Barber from the practice squad.
The 25-year-old Barber signed with the Commanders as an undrafted free agent in 2025 and spent his rookie season on the practice squad. He was elevated for the Week 17 game against the Dallas Cowboys and recorded five tackles and a sack. He was heavily considered for a spot on the 53-man roster out of training camp this year. The 6-foot-3, 295-pound Barber played collegiately at UCF.
With Barber now on the active roster, he joins Tim Settle and Shy Tuttle as the only defensive tackles. However, Charles Omenihu and Deatrich Wise Jr. can also play inside. Washington also signed nine-year NFL veteran defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale to the practice squad.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders add defensive tackle help after multiple injuries
