The Washington Commanders’ defense looked like a very different unit for much of Sunday’s season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. Unfortunately, one area that plagued Washington last season- explosive plays- ultimately proved to be the difference in Philadelphia’s 24-22 win.
Washington allowed three passing touchdowns in Sunday’s loss and had a couple of coverage breakdowns. Those breakdowns highlighted a concern for the Commanders: cornerback play.
While Amik Robertson and Rasul Douglas played well, Mike Sainristil did not. Quinn even spoke publicly about his disappointment in Sainristil’s coverage lapses last week. While the Commanders remain confident that Sainristil can bounce back, they made a move on Thursday, signing veteran cornerback
Isaac Yiadom from the practice squad.
Washington faces the Dallas Cowboys this week, who have arguably the NFL’s top wide receiver duo of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.
One player the Commanders could really use is second-year cornerback Trey Amos. A projected starter heading into the season, the 2025 second-round pick tweaked his ankle shortly after returning to practice last month. Amos missed the second half of last season with a fractured fibula.
The Commanders placed Amos on injured reserve on Aug. 30 with a designation to return. That means he must miss at least the first four games of the 2026 season. With that timeline, does that mean Washington could get Amos back for the Week 5 game against the New York Giants?
“I’d say it’s too early to say,” head coach Dan Quinn said on Wednesday.
"That’s certainly the goal, but I don't know if we're ready to say that just yet, as he’s going through the return-to-play process. Once it gets closer and the ramp-up hits higher, then there’s also some practice time, too. And if somebody’s had a lot of practice time, I think that window can happen more quickly. But if he hadn’t had a lot of practice time, I think you’d probably need a little bit more. But we’ve not had any discussions about that yet. We’re excited to get him back; I can tell you that. He’s in the meetings, so it’s like, you see him, and you’re like, ‘Man, I’m ready.’”
Amos hasn’t had much practice time. He essentially missed all of training camp and wasn’t cleared during offseason work. So, even as he nears a return, there’s no guarantee he’ll be back in Week 5. He was spotted at practice on Thursday chatting with Quinn.
Through all of the stretching, #Commanders CB Trey Amos (white shirt) chatting with Dan Quinn before practice. pic.twitter.com/cDGnmtDpks
— CWallSports (@cwallse) September 17, 2026
That doesn’t mean anything about a potential return, but it’s encouraging nonetheless.
The Commanders will get Amos back this season. By adding Fabian Moreau in training camp and Yiadom, they’re in no hurry to bring him back until he’s 100%.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: When will Commanders get injured CB Trey Amos back?
