The Washington Commanders could not keep up the positive momentum they recently found in Week 3, as they suffered a 34-27 defeat at the hands of the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday afternoon. As if injuries weren’t already a big enough issue for the team, they were dealt another blow when defensive lineman Javontae Jean-Baptiste was forced out of the game early.
A seventh-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Jean-Baptiste has become a key piece of the Commanders‘ defensive line to begin the new season. However, his campaign could already be over, as the team fears the talented second-year defender may have suffered a season-ending injury in their Week 4 loss.
Commanders Fear Javontae Jean-Baptiste Suffered Torn Pec
Injuries have played a big role in the start of the Commanders‘ 2025 campaign. Starting quarterback Jayden Daniels missed his second game on Sunday, while wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown also were forced to miss the contest. Key veterans like Austin Ekeler and Deatrich Wise Jr. have already suffered season-ending injuries, with Jonathan Jones joining them on injured reserve, too, although he’s expected to return this year.
While Washington managed to string together a win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3, their injury woes became too much to overcome against the Falcons. With several key playmakers out on offense, they struggled to consistently move the ball, but at the end of the day, it didn’t matter because the defense could not slow down Atlanta’s offense.
Now, the team has to worry about another injury involving Jean-Baptiste, who has taken on a bigger role in the absence of Wise. Jean-Baptiste was revealed to be dealing with a pec injury, and according to a recent report, the team is concerned that he may have suffered a torn pec, which would end his season.
Commanders’ DE Javontae Jean-Baptiste will undergo an MRI back in northern Virginia, but the team’s fear is that he tore his pec in today’s loss in Atlanta, per source,” Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic reported in a post on X.
Commanders Hoping for Good News on Javontae Jean-Baptiste Injury
GettyThe Commanders believe that Javontae Jean-Baptiste suffered a torn pec in Week 4
Washington’s defensive line is already shorthanded, so losing Jean-Baptiste for the rest of the season would be a crushing development. Should he be forced to miss time in general, Preston Smith and Jalyn Holmes would be tasked with taking on bigger roles with the team, and it’s possible that the front office could go out and look for external options as well.
The Commanders will wait for an official diagnosis on Jean-Baptiste before making any moves, but it seems like he’s going to miss some time one way or another. There’s nothing Washington can do but power forward, though, and they should get some help in Week 5 with the return of Daniels. The Commanders draw a tough matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, and time will tell whether or not they can overcome their injuries and get back in the win column.
Commanders Get Concerning Update on Injury to DE Javontae Jean-Baptiste