The Washington Commanders made a major investment in their pass rush this offseason, but one of their biggest additions is now a question mark heading into Week 1.
The Washington Commanders returned to the practice field on Tuesday, but two important players remain sidelined due to injury: defensive ends Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson.
The good news is there is definite optimism that Chaisson was able to make his return to practice on Wednesday and play against the Philadelphia Eagles. Oweh’s calf injury, however, is still lingering, making his availability for the season opener more of a question mark.
"We're feeling good...he's making a lot of progress," Quinn said of Oweh on Monday. Quinn added on Wednesday that Oweh is expected to return to practice next week, though his status beyond that remains unclear as the Commanders prepare to head to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles next Sunday, Sept. 13.
Oweh signed a four-year, $100 million deal with Washington this offseason as part of the team’s efforts to upgrade a subpar pass rush from last season. The Commanders had Dorance Armstrong, Deatrich Wise, Javontae Jean-Baptiste, Jacob Martin and Von Miller on the edge last season, but Armstrong, Wise and Jean-Baptiste all missed significant time due to injury. That left Martin and Miller to shoulder much of the workload, which was obviously less than ideal.
Oweh brings a proven ability to get after the quarterback. He recorded 7.5 sacks during the 2025 regular season before adding three sacks, four tackles for loss and two forced fumbles in the Los Angeles Chargers’ playoff game against the New England Patriots.
If Oweh is unable to play, the Commanders may have to rely more heavily on players like Javontae Jean-Baptiste and Joshua Jospehs. Assistant general manager Lance Newmark has been impressed by what he's seen from Josephs.
"We saw a lot of what we hoped to see when we drafted him. We saw that length. We saw the heavy hands at the point of attack. We saw the eyes past the blocks and just the instincts for plays that are coming at him," Newmark said Tuesday.
"I've think we organizationally feel very good about where he is in his development."
Josephs, a fifth-round pick out of Tennessee, showed plenty of promise as a pass rusher in college. He recorded 33 tackles, two sacks, four tackles for loss and three forced fumbles in 11 games during his final season with the Volunteers. He also led Tennessee with 32 pressures that season, showing an ability to consistently get into the backfield even if the sack numbers were modest.
Still, Josephs has yet to play a meaningful NFL snap, so asking him to take on a larger role in the season opener would be a significant challenge. With Oweh still working his way back from his calf injury, Josephs could find himself with an opportunity to make an immediate impact.
Ultimately, the hope for Washington is that both Oweh and Chaisson can return sooner rather than later. Both were brought in to play meaningful roles along the defensive line, and having them available would give the Commanders a much-needed boost to their pass rush. While players like Josephs and Jean-Baptiste provide depth, Washington would much rather have its key offseason additions back on the field.
