A former Illinois Fighting Illini star had a rough injury setback with his current NFL team.
The Illinois Fighting Illini have seen a bevy of standout defenders come through Champaign, Ill., but few if any quite like Jer'Zhan Newton, who became a second-round draft choice of the Washington Commanders franchise in 2024.
Newton, known by his nickname "Johnny," has flashed star talent in the NFL through two seasons with 44 combined tackles as a rookie and 38 tackles last season to go along with five sacks.
He was originally billed as a first round draft choice but slipped to the second round and has made other NFL teams take notice lately.
On Wednesday, news broke that the former Fighting Illini star suffered a major injury setback that led to surgery and is expected to cause him to miss considerable time.
Dec 25, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) is sacked by Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton (95) during the second half at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Newton Diagnosis: Torn Pectoral Muscle
Newton suffered a torn pectoral muscle on Friday, Aug. 14 during a preseason game against the Miami Dolphins and underwent surgery to repair it on New York on Wednesday, according to John Keim of ESPN.
Newton was expected to see significant time on the Commanders' defensive line this season behind starters Daron Payne and Javon Kinlaw, but those plans have been wiped out by his injury.
The former Fighting Illini star was one of the Commanders' most versatile defenders, used as a defensive end in defensive coordinator Daronte Jones' base package and as a tackle in his defense's nickel scheme.
Newton, who played for Bret Bielema's team in Champaign, was looking like a runaway success story but will now head back to the drawing board during his injury recovery process.
Newton Was Model of Consistency at Illinois
Newton was a model of consistency and loyalty during four seasons in Champaign with Bielema's team, playing eight games as a freshman and double-digit games in each of the next three seasons.
He recorded 18 sacks during his time with the Illini including 1.5 his freshman season and a college career-best 7.5 sacks during his final and senior season.
Newton was a fixture in opponents' backfields with the Illini as he racked up 14 tackles for loss, a career high, during his junior year followed by eight tackles for loss during his final year on campus.
One of the most versatile and athletic defenders in recent Big Ten history, Newton appeared headed for a breakout season with the Commanders prior to his injury.
Torn pectoral muscles can require six months or longer of recovery time depending on the severity and whether they needed surgery, as Newton's did.
The Commanders have a solid rotation of players in front of their third year player Newton so they likely will give him plenty of time to work his way back from the injury.
It's a frustrating setback for what looked like a budding future NFL star, but also something that comes with the territory in the career of countless professional football players.
The hope is that Newton comes back stronger than ever by the time his recovery process is over and done with in Washington, D.C.
