The Washington Commanders’ Week 2 outing against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday went from bad to worse with the late-game injury to Austin Ekeler.
The veteran running back suffered a non-contact injury while running a route midway through the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. As Ekeler tried to make a cut, his right leg caved on him. He suffered a non-contact injury, with no defender within several yards of him.
austin ekeler injury pic.twitter.com/o72ZTbHq2d
— ◇ (@F0RGIAT0) September 12, 2025
The nature of the injury closely resembles that of athletes who went on to be diagnosed with torn Achilles tendons. The Commanders ruled Ekeler out and confirmed he was dealing with an Achilles issue.
RB Austin Ekeler (achilles) is out pic.twitter.com/fQgZEqKmmy
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) September 12, 2025
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Commanders’ initial belief is that Ekeler did tear the Achilles tendon in his right leg. He is scheduled to undergo further testing on Friday for confirmation.
The 30-year-old left the contest with 17 rushing yards on a team-high 8 carries. He tallied 26 yards on 6 rushing attempts in the Commanders’ Week 1 win over the New York Giants.
The nine-year pro has stayed relatively injury-free throughout most of his career. He has never missed more than six games during a single season since the Los Angeles Chargers signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2017. Ekeler left the Chargers to join the Commanders on a two-year deal before the start of last season.
If Ekeler is sidelined for an extended period, the Commanders’ rushing attack would need to rely more heavily on rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt. The young running back, who goes by the nickname “Bill,” earned Rookie of the Week honors in Week 1 after he rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries in his NFL debut.
