Johnny Newton Injury Puts Commanders’ Defensive Line Depth Under Microscope

Johnny Newton’s pectoral injury could force Washington to test the defensive-line depth it spent the offseason building much earlier than expected.

Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Commanders defensive end Charles Omenihu (90) works on a blocking sled at training camp. At the BigBear.ai Performance Center at Commanders Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Washington Commanders defensive tackle Johnny Newton spent Wednesday in New York seeking the advice of a specialist on his pectoral injury suffered last Friday against Miami. Dan Quinn expressed concern Wednesday that it could be a long-term issue. That brings us to this point: if Newton misses part or all of the season, Washington will have to replace his snaps. That should be easier after the Commanders spent a good portion of the offseason stocking the defensive front for a multi-look presence. It just means they will have to find out how well it works much sooner than they would have imagined.

Newton is one of the interior options who can disrupt the passing and running game, rather than only function as a run stopper. Newton finished with five sacks and 27 pressures while improving his pass-rush grade in 2025, and was healthy and stacking days toward what he envisioned was a big year. No mistake about it, Washington certainly has enough players to replace his snaps, but whether they have the personnel to replace his pass rush remains to be seen.

Payne and Kinlaw Give Washington a Starting Point

Daron Payne and Javon Kinlaw are the two studs on the inside of that defensive front who will have to absorb the brunt of possibly losing Newton long-term. Both Payne and Kinlaw were already looking at high snap counts even with Newton, but both are primed for big years. A player like Charles Omenihu could come into play, with him having the ability to shift across the defensive front into different positions.

Here’s a look at DT Javon Kinlaw and G Chris Paul in today’s OL-DL 1-on-1s pic.twitter.com/irijyt9wbU

— Skylar Nelson (@SkyMad03) August 18, 2026

Tim Settle has been dealing with a calf injury of his own this summer and hasn't been able to contribute much in the process. Quinn recently said Settle was close to practicing, so we'll monitor that. The defensive tackle room could certainly use him and will have to turn to other options further down the line until he is cleared. Byron Cowart and Maurice Hurst II are two veterans Washington recently added — Cowart on Aug. 11 and Hurst on Aug. 18 — not that they were connected to Newton; Cowart played in the Dolphins game with him. What once originally looked like competition for the back end of the roster has now turned into a possible push for rotational snaps if Newton is unavailable. With Shy Tuttle and Ricky Barber also on the roster, the next few days could get interesting as the team tries to find out which players they trust versus which players are just names that will eventually be cut.

Washington stacked the depth on their defensive line, so injuries like Newton's do not leave them without viable options. If Newton is out for an extended amount of time, we'll find out real soon if any of those options are good replacements or just names to fill snaps.

Here’s a quick look at OL-DL 1-on-1s from today’s practice pic.twitter.com/m7Hba71rxk

— Skylar Nelson (@SkyMad03) August 19, 2026

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