Commanders' Austin Ekeler Placed on IR with Concussion After Injury vs. Cowboys

The Washington Commanders announced Saturday that running back Austin Ekeler was placed on the Reserve/Injured List with a concussion he suffered during last week's loss against the Dallas Cowboys.

Washington did get some good news on Friday, however, as running back Brian Robinson was a full participant at practice and didn't have an injury designation after missing the entirety of the second half on Sunday due to a sprained right ankle.

That means that Robinson and Jeremy McNichols will lead the team's rushing attack on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

Ekeler—who suffered the injury while returning a kick in the waning moments of Sunday's 34-26 loss—will now miss at least four games after being placed on the IR. That means his earliest possible return is a matchup against the Cowboys to close out the regular season in Week 18.

The 29-year-old has proven to be a solid addition, serving as the team's primary receiving back. For the year he's rushed for 355 yards and four touchdowns, adding 33 catches for 346 yards while providing rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels with a reliable safety valve in the passing game.

His injury comes at a time when Washington's season is in something of a free fall. After starting 7-2 and racing to the top of the NFC East standings, the Commanders have lost three straight games and are looking up at the Philadelphia Eagles (9-2) in the division.

A home matchup against the 3-8 Titans should help them right the ship, however, before a much-needed Week 14 bye.

"I mean, you just go out there and play football," Daniels told reporters about responding to the three-game slide. "Execute and you let the cards fall where they fall. It's just how we prepare and go out there, have fun and play loose and we'll live with the outcomes."

"I think it's just a special group of guys that like to be around each other and have each other's backs," he added. "So, win, lose or draw, we're always here for each other and we're not pointing fingers, we're not turning on each other. I mean, the locker room is pretty strong to me."

Losing Ekeler for the next month will make life a bit more difficult for Daniels and the offense, however.