Commanders DT Phidarian Mathis Out For Season; How Will Washington Replace Rookie?

Mathis made his NFL debut Sunday, but won't play the rest of the year.

The Washington Commanders are celebrating their season-opening win against the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday, but the victory came at a price.

Second-round rookie defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis tore his meniscus and will need surgery that will hold him out for the rest of the season, per NFL Network.

Mathis injured his knee in the first quarter of Sunday's win against the Jaguars. The former Alabama Crimson Tide defensive tackle was expected to play a key role in the defensive line rotation this season alongside Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne, but now the Commanders must adjust.

Luckily for Washington, the team drafted Mathis as an insurance policy for beyond the 2022 season, meaning the injury won't affect the defensive line as much as it could have. The depth at the position should allow the Commanders to operate almost as normally as they would had Mathis not been hurt.

The likelihood is that Allen and Payne will start and soak up some of the reps that Mathis would get, but some bench players will also see some run. The Commanders employ sixth-year veteran Efe Obada, who was listed as a backup defensive tackle next to Mathis in the team's initial depth chart released ahead of the first game of the season. The team also has Daniel Wise, who played sparingly last season for the team.

In all likelihood, the team will sign another defensive lineman from either the practice squad or free agency to fulfill Mathis' loss in the unit.

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