Commanders TEs John Bates, Cole Turner Injury Update: Could Either Play Week 1 vs. Jaguars?

Both tight ends have spent most of training camp sidelined.

The Washington Commanders are getting healthy at just the right time.

Tight ends John Bates and Cole Turner had helmets in hand and were going through individual drills Monday.

Bates (calf) has missed significant time this training camp and preseason while the rookie Turner (hamstring) was a standout this summer before suffering his own injury that sidelined him the past few weeks.

With starting tight end Logan Thomas recovering from the injury he suffered last season, Bates and Turner were both looked at as players who may need to carry some heavier weight to begin the year.

Their injuries gave way to more camp and preseason opportunities for guys like Sammis Reyes and undrafted free agent Curtis Hodges, but both of those players also suffered injuries along the way.

This led to a pleasant surprise as another undrafted tight end, Amari Rogers, stepped up earning himself a spot on the active roster.

As impressive as he has been, nobody would prefer to see Rogers stepping in as the starting tight end when the Jacksonville Jaguars come to town this Sunday, so getting Bates and Turner back to practice is a huge step in the right direction.

With Bates and Turner trending towards being healthier, the Commanders are hoping to have a key defensive player, and a full complement of offensive weapons available, when quarterback Carson Wentz leads the team onto the FedEx Field surface to start the season Sunday afternoon.

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