Already in the midst of a miserable season, things went from bad to worse for the Washington Commanders in Week 14.
After their 31-0 blowout loss to the Minnesota Vikings, the Commanders (3-10) may have lost both quarterback Jayden Daniels and tight end Zach Ertz to injury.
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Daniels — who was just coming back from a left elbow injury — was the first player to leave Sunday. After being intercepted, he was shoved onto his already injured left elbow and left the contest.
Zach Ertz was extremely emotional as he was carted off the field on Sunday in their loss to the Vikings. (AP/Abbie Parr)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
That brought in backup Marcus Mariota, who — not long after coming into the game — sailed a pass to veteran tight end Zach Ertz downfield. Ertz had to leap to try and make the catch. While the ball hit him in the hands, Ertz couldn’t come up with the reception. Before he hit the ground, Ertz was hit directly in the knee area by Minnesota Vikings safety Jay Ward.
Content warning: Video of the injury is gruesome.
Ertz had to be helped off the field. He was emotional as he was carted back to the locker room.
The Commanders quickly ruled Ertz out for the rest of the game due to a knee injury.
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After the contest, Commanders coach Dan Quinn said Ertz is feared to have torn his ACL, which explained his emotional response before being carted off the field. Ertz will undergo additional testing to confirm the injury. If he tore his ACL, Ertz would miss the rest of the 2025 NFL season.
The 35-year-old Ertz was in the midst of another solid season with the Commanders. While he’s no longer a huge threat for 1,000-yard seasons, Ertz emerged as a reliable red-zone target for Daniels last season.
That connection appeared to continue this season, as Ertz caught touchdowns in each of the first two games, which were started by Daniels. Ertz then went on a scoring drought with Daniels sidelined by a knee injury. But he caught touchdowns in Daniels’ next two starts.
Prior to Week 14, Ertz had 49 receptions for 493 yards and four scores, all of which came in games started by Daniels.
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The Vikings (5-8) had no issue picking up the shutout win Sunday. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy threw three touchdowns on the afternoon to help snap a four-game losing skid. They will face the Dallas Cowboys next week.
The Commanders, meanwhile, have lost eight straight. With injuries piling up, it’s been a rough stretch for the franchise.
