The Washington Commanders enjoyed a long weekend before returning to Ashburn on Monday in preparation for Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season. That extra time off brought some good news for the Commanders ahead of Sunday’s opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.
“Everybody participated today,” Quinn said when asked about linebacker Odafe Oweh. “It was a walkthrough practice, so I’ll get you an update on Wednesday, but it’s a good sign that everybody’s trending in the right direction. Full group out there today getting work in.”
Oweh and fellow edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson were dealing with calf and knee injuries, respectively, late in training camp. Both missed some time, but Chaisson returned to practice last week. Some were concerned about whether
Oweh would be ready for Week 1. Quinn’s opening message on Monday would seem to indicate that the Commanders believe Oweh is trending toward playing against the Eagles.
Washington spent a ton of resources on improving the defense this offseason. New defensive coordinator Daronte Jones was the first move that the Commanders made. The biggest free-agent move Washington made was signing the 27-year-old Oweh. A first-round pick of the Ravens in the 2021 NFL Draft, Baltimore traded him to the Chargers last October after he got off to a slow start. After the trade, Oweh was outstanding, finishing with 7.5 sacks in 12 games for Los Angeles. Oweh then sacked Patriots quarterback three times in January’s AFC Wild Card game.
Most of Washington’s projected defense will be on the field next Sunday. Cornerback Trey Amos was placed on injured reserve last week, but everyone else is on track to play. Obviously, the Commanders will also be without star left tackle Laremy Tunsil (torn triceps) and defensive lineman Johnny Newton (torn pec), who were also placed on IR.
The good news, though, is that everyone battling a nagging injury, such as Oweh, Chaisson and center Nick Allegretti, is trending in the right direction.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders' Dan Quinn delivers good news ahead of Week 1 vs. Eagles
