Commanders Place RB Austin Ekeler on IR

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The Washington Commanders received some unfortunate injury news in regards to veteran running back Austin Ekeler.
Ekeler, 29, was placed on injured reserve by the team after suffering his second concussion of the season during the team's Week 12 loss against the Dallas Cowboys.
Ekeler has carried the ball 74 times for 355 yards and four touchdowns so far this season while also catching 33 passes for 346 yards.
Losing Ekeler is a massive loss for the Commanders backfield, which has been decimated by injuries all season long. Starting running back Brian Robinson Jr. suffered an ankle injury last week. However, he has practiced throughout the week and did not appear on the team's final injury report, making him good to go for the team's Week 13 game against the Tennessee Titans.
With Ekeler out, Robinson will be expected to carry a larger load of responsibility. However, the team did also sign 2023 sixth-round pick Chris Rodriguez to the 53-man roster shortly after cutting him entirely. The team also has Jeremy McNichols available to eat some of the carries that Ekeler may have had if he were healthy.
Kickoff between the Titans and Commanders is set for Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
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Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.
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