Dan Quinn met the media on the bye Monday, and the injury news was a mixed bag. Which is what we have come to expect with this injury-plagued 2026 season. The Commies will have one starter still stuck, a few pieces finally coming back, and a clear answer on who picks up Terry McLaurin’s targets.
The team posted the Oct. 26 Quinn session on commanders.com. Here’s what he said that matters for the run into Philadelphia on Sunday night, Nov. 1.
Defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw is the biggest concern. Quinn said Kinlaw is “not trending as fast as we had hoped” with his knee injury, The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala reported. Unlike the players Quinn named as returning to practice, Kinlaw was not among them. This is a big problem. The Commies’ defense has struggled to generate much of a pass rush. Kinlaw has had 13 tackles, 7 pressures, four hurries, two hits, and one sack. Kinlaw’s PFF grade for the season so far is 62.5.
Kinlaw is an asset in stopping the run. That will hurt the Commies as they face the Eagles. However, losing Kinlaw is not going to be that much of a blow for the pass rush since that is not Kinlaw’s specialty.
Luckily, it was not all bad news from Quinn. The head coach with the backwards cap said that quarterback Marcus Mariota and defensive lineman Charles Omenihu will be back at practice, Ben Standig reported. Mariota’s been out with the knee (MCL) since London. Omenihu sat Week 6 with the groin/ankle.
Getting Omenihu back will help offset the loss of Kinlaw. Omenihu has only played in three games this season and has 1 tackle, six pressures, 1 quarterback hit, 5 hurries, and 1 pass defended. Omenihu’s PFF grade so far this season is 53.9. While it is nice to get another body back on defense, Omenihu has hardly impressed with his play this 2026 season. Hopefully, Omenihu will heat up as he returns to the field.
More good news is that wide receiver Treylon Burks is being eased back. Keim reported Burks “will be worked back into practice.” This is vitally important as the wide receiver corps is already without Terry McLaurin and Jaylin Lane for the year. Burks has a long and well-documented injury history. Hopefully, Burks is able to play and avoid any lingering injury.
Interestingly, Quinn shut down the idea that Stefon Diggs simply inherits McLaurin’s workload. Jhabvala reported that Diggs’ workload “won’t change much,” and the team would look to others to step up, “primarily Antonio Williams.” I love hearing this. I firmly believe that McLaurin’s injury should open the door for Williams to get featured far more than he would have if WR1 was still healthy. It is imperative that the Commies get their rookie plenty of work rather than giving more time to an aging vet who may not be on the team next year. This should also give Peters and the Commies a better idea of what they have in Williams. This will help dictate what the Commies do with what should be another Top 10 draft pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
That’s the bye-week plan in one sentence: Kinlaw still grinding back from the knee, Mariota and Omenihu on the grass again, Burks limited but working, and the rookie Williams queued to soak up what used to be No. 17’s targets. Now we see who shows up Wednesday through Friday.