The Commanders could have reinforcements in place as early as Week 5. The team announced on Wednesday that cornerback Trey Amos, running back Jeremy McNichols and defensive end Deatrich Wise have each returned to practice.
That means each member of that trio has seen their 21-day activation window opened. Both Amos and McNichols were among the players moved to injured reserve-designated for return during roster cutdowns, leaving them unavailable for the first four weeks of the season. Their activations have already been accounted for.
Wise, meanwhile, spent the opening month of the campaign on the reserve/PUP list. He is also in line to practice when first available to do so. Washington could certainly use help on both sides of the ball given the team’s current injury situation, although the return of starting quarterback Jayden Daniels is expected this week.
It is unclear when Amos will be back in the fold, however. Head coach Dan Quinn said (via ESPN’s John Keim) it is too early to tell how quickly the 2025 second-rounder will be able to return to the lineup. Amos was limited to 10 games as a rookie, but he started eight of those and a large defensive workload should be in store once he is back to full strength. The Commanders have three weeks to activate him and avoid having Amos revert to season-ending IR.
McNichols will add another veteran depth presence to Washington’s backfield. The unit recently saw the return of Austin Ekeler, of course. McNichols, 30, has been in the nation’s capital since 2024. Rotational work on offense along with regular usage on special teams should once again be in store in his case.
Wise only played two games in 2025, his debut Washington campaign. The longtime Patriot re-signed with the Commanders this spring, though, setting up at least a part-time workload once he was healthy. Wise is a pending free agent, so his 2027 value will greatly depend on his ability to remain available moving forward.
