Commanders Victory Monday Notebook: Roster Moves, Injury Timelines, and Prepping for London

the burgundy roundup — Following a massive 33-31 upset over Seattle, Washington made headlines with Austin Ekeler's return, a successful neck surgery for Leo Chenal, and London travel plans. | HTTR4LIFE LLC

Hope you enjoyed your Victory Monday, riding high on the memory of the Washington Commanders grabbing hold of the coattails of three takeaways en route to a 33-31 victory over the defending Super Bowl champions who hadn't been beaten in 12 games. It’s a good feeling to know the team, while playing with house money, did something no one, including myself, predicted. Granted, unlike most, I did see a path to victory over the Seattle Seahawks for the team; I just thought the secondary's plight would be too much to overcome. Glad to be wrong.

The day after brought early news: Ian Rapoport reported that the Commanders were bringing back running back Austin Ekeler, who worked out and had planned to sign with the Carolina Panthers' practice squad when Week 4 opened; now he will join Washington's 53-man roster.

News of Leo Chenal's fractured neck and surgery to repair it came soon after. Needless to say, he'll miss the rest of the season. More importantly, he can move all of his extremities, and the surgery was a success, according to his X account.

Rookie LB Sonny Styles went out and had himself a day against the Seahawks. Now we know why the staff was so quick to give him tons of responsibility and not worry.

Commanders HC Dan Quinn said Jayden Daniels will travel to London with the team and is expected to get back on the practice field this week. Quinn stopped short of offering much more on his status, so it'll be interesting to see how involved Daniels is as the week progresses toward Sunday's game against the Colts at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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Sep 27, 2026; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) rushes the ball against the Seattle Seahawks in the second half at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Commanders News From the Day

7 Winners, 5 Losers From the Commanders’ 33-31 Win Over the Seahawks

The Washington Commanders earned their first win of the 2026 NFL season against the Seattle Seahawks, who entered the game on a 12-game winning streak. Seattle outgained Washington 437-258 and had 28 first downs to Washington's 17. Turnovers proved to be the difference.

Washington Commanders Whiteboard: Notes and observations from Week 3

Headed into a tough matchup with a backup quarterback and depleted offensive line, David Blough called an outstanding game. After taking advantage of the Seahawks’ first turnover, Blough dialed up a fake swing pass in the second quarter that was in actuality a tunnel screen to Jaylin Lane, resulting in the first 20-plus yard play of the season allowed by the Seahawks defense.

Surgery went well! Thank you all for all the love and support, you don’t know how much it means seeing this much love everywhere ❤️
— Leo Chenal (@lchenal54) September 28, 2026

Commanders LB Leo Chenal has neck surgery and QB Jayden Daniels to return to practice this week

“Leo had surgery this morning and it went well,” Quinn said. “That’s a big deal. Great teammate and has been a significant addition, both on and off the field, so that was good news to hear.”

Chenal suffered a neck injury late in the second quarter of the after attempting to tackle Seattle running back Emanuel Wilson. Washington’s medical staff attended to Chenal on the ground for several minutes before he was driven off on a medical cart. Several teammates took a knee as Wilson was tended to.

5 Standouts From The Commanders Home-Opening Victory

The Washington Commanders returned to Northwest Stadium on Sunday for a rainy home opener against the reigning Super Bowl champion, Seattle Seahawks. Despite entering Week three shorthanded, Washington delivered a complete performance, defeating Seattle 33-31 to earn its first victory of the season, while handing the Seahawks their first loss.

Mariota's TD pass to McLaurin was more than what you think

With the Washington Commanders lined up at the Seattle Seahawks' 30-yard line, Marcus Mariota shuffled to his left and fired a shot to McLaurin near the front of the end zone. McLaurin turned at the last moment, plucked the ball from the air and secured it as he fell to give his team a two-score lead. In the moment, it looked like the play unfolded exactly as the Commanders drew it up.

But that isn't quite true. The Commanders got the result they wanted, but everything leading up to it was a little different from what they had planned out.

"It kind of changed on the fly," Mariota said after the game.

The nominees for the @FedEx Air & Ground Players of the Week.

Vote for your winners below! ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/AiDqutNbmq
— NFL (@NFL) September 28, 2026

5 takeaways from Commanders vs. Seahawks

4. The run defense is legit good.

The Commanders were one of the worst teams at defending the run last season, averaging more than 141 yards allowed per game. The front office sought to change that this past offseason, and now, it's arguably the defense's best trait.

The Seahawks, who entered the Week 3 matchup ranked ninth in rushing offense, found almost no success on the ground against the Commanders. They put up 44 yards on just 18 carries, averaging 2.4 yards per attempt. Price was the leading rusher with 15 yards, although most of that came off an 11-yard run that was also the Seahawks' longest of the day. It was the fewest rushing yards allowed by the Commanders since Week 13 of the 2024 season against Tennessee.

That didn't stop the Seahawks from having success on offense, as they turned more to the passing game, but their inability to run the ball did affect the game in tangible ways. The best example came during the Seahawks' failed attempt at scoring at the Commanders' 2-yard line in the second quarter. The Seahawks elected to pass the ball on three consecutive plays, leading to a turnover on downs.

The Commanders still have plenty to work on with their defense, but their presence on the ground gives them a foundation to build upon in the coming weeks.

Leo Chenal neck surgery could push Commanders straight back to Bobby Wagner

It's certainly possible. Nothing should be completely dismissed, especially after Quinn said the door would never be closed on Wagner. The Commanders are also bringing running back Austin Ekeler in for another go-around, so the same could happen again.

In the NFL, everything can change in 7 days. Just ask the Commanders

“I don’t know if I can quantify it,” Quinn said afterward. “But I do know, coming into this, that we were going to be really tested. The 0-3 test and the 1-2 test, both don’t sound great on paper. But they feel a lot different.”

A Week in the NFL. Everything can change.

The Commanders’ defense hadn’t produced three turnovers in a game since it forced five in that seems-so-long-ago divisional playoff win in January 2025 in Detroit. Last season, it created just 10 turnovers, which was 31st of 32 teams in the league. Sunday, against the best team in football, they produced three, including Kain Medrano’s game-shifting 50-yard pick-six late in the fourth quarter.

Podcasts

Commanders Shock Seahawks: Full Postgame Recap with Interviews - With Lake Lewis

Commanders Shock the Seahawks 33-31 - John Keim Report

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