The Washington Commanders enjoyed one of the deepest backfields of any team this season. However, one of those running backs — Austin Ekeler — is now out for an extended period of time after going down in Week 12 vs. the Dallas Cowboys.
What’s the latest on Ekeler and his potential return to play?
What Is Austin Ekeler’s Injury?
In Week 12, Ekeler suffered his second concussion of the season in the Commanders’ loss to the Cowboys. He took a major hit returning a kick and was subsequently knocked out of the game.
Ekeler’s first concussion came back in Week 3. He departed after just 13 snaps in Washington’s Monday night win over the Cincinnati Bengals. On a short week, he was unable to get cleared for Week 4, but he returned after that.
To date, that has been Ekeler’s only absence of the season. But now that this is his second concussion of the year, it’s unsurprising to see the team exercise more caution.
When Will Ekeler Return From Injury?
We know this will be a multi-game absence. Washington placed Ekeler on injured reserve (IR) the day before their Week 13 game, guaranteeing a four-game absence.
The Commanders also have a Week 14 bye, which extends Ekeler’s absence an extra week. That means the earliest we could see Ekeler again is in Washington’s Week 18 regular-season finale against the Cowboys.
Of course, every concussion is different, and placing Ekeler on IR is probably the prudent thing to ensure that he has the opportunity to heal more fully from his second concussion in three months.
How Will Ekeler’s Absence Impact the Commanders?
At full strength, the Commanders have a strong one-two punch with Brian Robinson Jr. and Ekeler. With Ekeler out, veteran journeyman Jeremy McNichols slides into the RB2 role. While McNichols undoubtedly won’t see as much work as Ekeler, he will operate as the primary passing-down back.
The Week 13 blowout win over the Tennessee Titans was probably not the best indicator of the expected backfield split moving forward. Washington raced out to a 21-0 lead after the first quarter en route to a 42-19 win, making the majority of the game garbage time.
The most important takeaway is that Robinson appears to be the clear goal-line back and that Chris Rodriguez Jr.’s playing time was likely inflated by the score.
TEN
Pollard 72% (7/12 on 3rd down)
Spears 26%
Chestnut 2%
*no snaps inside the 10*WAS
B Robinson 45% (8/14 on 3rd down; 4/5 inside the 5)
C Rodriguez 30% (21/23 snaps were in 4th qtr)
McNichols 25%Stats: https://t.co/hCv73XUnDS
— #AskFFT (@daverichard) December 1, 2024
It’s worth noting that, while not listed on the injury report, Robinson has been banged up over the past few weeks. In fact, injuries limited him to just 12 snaps against Dallas. So while McNichols is likely nothing more than an RB3 desperation play with Robinson in the lineup, he does hold significant handcuff value during the fantasy playoffs.