The Washington Commanders are fresh off a bye week and preparing to take on the Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday evening.
It’s their second prime-time game in three weeks, and this time they’ll face an Eagles team that looks very different from the one they saw in Week 1. It’s not just that the Eagles have a lot of injured players; it's the players who are injured that present the problem for them. No Jalen Hurts. DeVonta Smith missed last week. Saquon Barkley is banged up. Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley are on IR. Dontayvion Wicks is battling an injury. Tanner McKee will have his work cut out for him.
While the Eagles are losing players left and right, the Commanders are making their own roster moves. Defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton left training
camp with a torn pectoral muscle that required surgery in August, but he returned to practice Wednesday as the Commanders opened his 21-day window.
DT Jer’Zhan Newton has returned to practice and his 21-day window has been opened pic.twitter.com/3K43GLUVFi
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 28, 2026
Getting him back in the lineup should be good news for the defensive line. In addition to Newton returning to practice, the Commanders made three other roster moves.
We have made the following roster moves:
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 28, 2026
- Placed WR Terry McLaurin on the Reserve/Injured List
- Signed WR Van Jefferson from the practice squad
- Signed OLB Kyle Kennard to the practice squad pic.twitter.com/WvIWPHFx9g
Van Jefferson takes the active roster spot vacated by Terry McLaurin, and Kyle Kennard takes Jefferson’s spot on the practice squad. Jefferson is not Terry McLaurin, though. Washington will count on others, including rookie Antonio Williams and Treylon Burks, to replace McLaurin’s production alongside Chig Okonkwo and Stefon Diggs.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders make roster moves ahead of Week 8 matchup with Eagles
