Commanders Awaiting Injury Decisions Ahead of Week Five vs Giants

The Washington Commanders have injury questions to answer once again, this time ahead of the first meeting of the season against the New York Giants in week five.

The good news is head coach Dan Quinn expects multiple players to return to practice this week, including safety Nick Cross, right guard Sam Cosmi and running back Rachaad White. Both Cross and Cosmi went down in the week two loss against the Dallas Cowboys after Cosmi entered concussion protocol while Cross was hospitalized with what was described as an internal injury. White went down in the week three win against the Seattle Seahawks with a shoulder injury, but returned for the second half despite being ruled questionable.

Quarterback Jayden Daniels is also expected to return to practice after traveling with the team to London before being ruled out on Friday, but whether he starts in week five is a question for the rest of the week to answer.

Yet the uncertainty continues after that after Quinn confirmed that quarterback Marcus Mariota suffered an MCL sprain to the same MCL he injured during preseason. Next steps for the team remain unclear as the Commanders evaluate Mariota's timeline. Mariota missed roughly one month after suffering a sprained MCL in preseason.

After materializing into a late scratch, whether veteran wide receiver Terry McLaurin returns to practice remains under evaluation as the team plans to reassess on Wednesday. Similar can be said about defensive end Charles Omenihu, who suffered a groin injury in the week four loss against the Colts.

Could Washington see anyone return? That question may be most relevant for cornerback Trey Amos, who appeared in about 30 minutes of training camp before exiting the field with another injury. After materializing into one of the three players placed on the PUP list prior to the start of preseason, then placed on injured reserve ahead of the regular season, the plan for Amos to return remains unclear despite entering week five eligible to come off the injured list. Free agent signings Amik Robertson and Rasul Douglas have loomed large in Amos' absence, while Mike Sainristil has already fallen out of the rotation despite the limited depth at times. Running back Jeremy McNichols and defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. remain on injured reserve with Amos after battling quad injuries, though their returns also remain unclear.

Quinn also confirmed that wide receiver Jaylin Lane will be sidelined for the remainder of the season after suffering a fractured and dislocated ankle, paving the way for wide receiver Luke McCaffrey to become a dependable piece both as a wide receiver and returner.

The Commanders will look to pick up their second consecutive win at Northwest Stadium when the Giants arrive this Sunday, Oct. 11. Kickoff is set for 1 PM ET.