Commander Country

Commanders rookie WR nominated for first prestigious NFL honor

Washington Commanders rookie wideout made a big impact in the team's blowout win over the Las Vegas Raiders, earning a nomination for his first NFL honor.
Caleb Skinner|
Sep 21, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Jaylin Lane (83) Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images
Sep 21, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Jaylin Lane (83) Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

In this story:

Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders got back on track last week after suffering their first loss in Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers, returning home and dismantling the Las Vegas Raiders 41-24 behind strong offensive output and special teams play.

Washington was able to blow out the Geno Smith led Raiders on the shoulders of backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, who started in place of injured Jayden Daniels, and a strong running game that put up over 200 yards on the ground.

But perhaps the biggest play came from the least expected player, rookie wideout Jaylin Lane. Lane received a punt from the Raiders at his own 10-yard line before proceeding to find a hole and taking the punt 90 yards to the house for a touchdown to put the Commanders up 27-10 early in the third quarter.

Lane didn't do anything outside of that on the day, but that play alone was good enough to earn him a nomination as the Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week.

Jaylin Finds One 'Lane' to Rookie of the Week Nomination

Jaylin Lan
Sep 21, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Jaylin Lane (83) Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Lane's highlight play could very likely earn him the honor of being named Rookie of the Week in Week 3, but the team will hope to get more out of him as the season progresses.

Lane, a 2025 fourth round draft pick out of VIrginia Tech, has yet to make a real impact at wide receiver for the Commanders despite the wide receiver room not being all that deep.

The Commanders have relied heavily on their starters Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, and Noah Brown early in the season, so they would love if Lane and Luke McCaffrey would emerge throughout the rest of the year to take some of the pressure off the aforementioned starters.

Through three games in the NFL, Lane has only managed three receptions on eight targets for 11 yards and no scores. Lane's next chance to show what he can bring to the table for the Commanders comes Sunday when they take on the Atlanta Falcons.

READ MORE: This position's depth tested for Commanders in Week 3

Follow Caleb on Twitter.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2025 season.

More Washington Commanders News

• Commanders rookie making strong impression on Dan Quinn

• Commanders place safety on IR as secondary struggles continue

• Commanders offensive line look sharp, but Dan Quinn isn't ready to commit

• Commanders head coach sounds off on signing former first-round pick

Published
Caleb Skinner
CALEB SKINNER

Caleb is from Nashville, TN, and graduated from Florida State University in 2018 with majors in Sociology and History. He has previously written for an FSU outlet and started covering the Buccaneers in March of 2022 while co-hosting the Hear the Cannons podcast. He expanded his role with GamedayMedia by covering the Houston Texans and Washington Commanders in April of 2024. You can follow Caleb on Twitter @chsnole

Share on XFollow chsnole
Home/News