Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders are placing running back Brian Robinson on the reserve/non-football injury list to open the 2022 NFL season, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Robinson was shot Sunday in an attempted robbery in Washington, D.C. He was released from the hospital Monday and met Commanders team doctors Tuesday ahead of the season.

Going on the reserve/NFI list will force Robinson to miss at least Washington's first four games.

Head coach Ron Rivera thought having Robinson at the team facility not only represented a step forward in his recovery but also helped concerned teammates.

"It was an emotional thing because they could see he was OK," Rivera told reporters. "I think that really kind of put a lot of their minds at ease."

We’re all excited to have @BrianR_4 back in the building 💛 pic.twitter.com/xDDbCychdM

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) August 30, 2022

The coach added the team will be cautious with Robinson's return, but he was optimistic about his recovery.

"The doctors were very positive with him and he was very positive as well," Rivera said. "He's very fortunate. He's doing well. It will be a matter of time before he's back out here. There's no timeline, but everything was very positive."

The earliest Robinson will be eligible to suit up is Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans.

The Commanders selected the 23-year-old in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft. He had four somewhat nondescript years at Alabama before running for 1,343 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2021.

Although Antonio Gibson is coming off a 1,000-yard rushing season for Washington, expectations have been reasonably high for Robinson ahead of his debut campaign.

Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson reportedly avoided major damage to his leg when he was shot twice in an attempted robbery over the weekend.

Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported Tuesday that one bullet went through Robinson's knee but missed all ligaments, tendons and bones. It's possible Robinson will return to the team "sooner" than expected, though no timetable has been set.

From NFL Now on @nflnetwork: #Commanders RB Brian Robinson is extremely fortunate a bullet that passed through his knee missed all of the vital parts of the joint. His timeline is TBD. pic.twitter.com/UxOmw9H8Rx

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 30, 2022

Robinson was released from the hospital Monday after being shot Sunday evening in Washington, D.C. The Alabama product posted on social media that his surgery "went well," and the team has been cautiously optimistic about his status.

"He's very fortunate," Commanders coach Ron Rivera told reporters. "He's doing well. It will be a matter of time before he's back out here. There's no timeline, but everything was very positive.

"It's just about the healing process, and once he's well enough to get on the field, doctors have to clear him and we'll go from there. Everything is positive so far."

Washington did not place Robinson on the non-football injury list ahead of Tuesday's 53-man roster deadline, meaning it's possible he will suit up within the first four weeks of the season. Garafolo said the Commanders avoided making such a move for flexibility, but it's noteworthy they chose that strategy rather than to clear a roster spot.

Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic will handle the running back duties for as long as Robinson is out. Robinson had emerged in camp as the favorite to win early-down work from Gibson.

Washington Commanders edge-rusher Chase Young will miss the first four games of the 2022 season after being placed on the reserve/PUP (physically unable to perform) list Tuesday.

Young continues to recover from a torn right ACL suffered last November. He's eligible to return in Week 5 on Oct. 9 against the Tennessee Titans.

The former Ohio State star was one of college football's brightest and best defensive players in recent memory. He amassed 16.5 sacks in 12 games for the 2019 Buckeyes. Thanks to his efforts, he was picked No. 2 overall in the 2020 draft.

Young helped Washington earn an NFC East title in his rookie year. He finished second on the team with 7.5 sacks and earned a Pro Bowl appearance and Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.

The 23-year-old was having a bit of a down campaign in 2021 with just 1.5 sacks and four quarterback hits through nine games when he tore his right ACL against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Nov. 14 and went on to miss the rest of the season.

A team source told ESPN's John Keim on July 29 that Young was not expected back until mid-September at the earliest. Washington head coach Ron Rivera said Young would at a minimum miss the season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 11 and possibly more. However, he noted Young was on track in his recovery.

"It was a serious injury," Rivera said. "He's doing everything he's supposed to. He's on time as far as where the doctors think he should be, and as he gets better and better we can update you. But right now, he's right where he needs to be."

James Smith-Williams is the next player up on the depth chart behind Young. The third-year pro had 30 tackles and two-and-a-half sacks last year.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Sonny Jurgensen is getting his No. 9 jersey retired by the Washington Commanders.

Per ESPN's John Keim, the ceremony will take place during Washington's Week 18 game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Jurgensen played 18 seasons in the NFL from 1957 to 1974. He was drafted in the fourth round by the Philadelphia Eagles and spent the first four years of his career primarily as a backup quarterback.

After Norm Van Brocklin retired following the 1960 season, Jurgensen was elevated to the starting job in Philadelphia. He led the NFL in passing yards and interceptions in each of his first two seasons in the role.

The Eagles traded Jurgensen to Washington in April 1964. The Duke alum was the team's starting quarterback for the next seven seasons. He was named to the Pro Bowl four times, All-Pro second team twice and finished in the top 10 in MVP voting twice.

Jurgensen led the league in completions, attempts and passing yards in 1966, 1967 and 1969. He threw a league-high 31 touchdowns in 1967.

Injuries limited Jurgensen to 13 starts over his final four seasons from 1971 to 1974. He went 11-2 in those games, including a 4-0 mark in 1972 when Washington reached the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history.

Sammy Baugh, Bobby Mitchell and Sean Taylor are the only other players in Washington history to have had their jersey number retired.

Jurgensen, who turns 88 on Tuesday, ranks second in Washington franchise history in passing yards (22,585), touchdown passes (179), completions (1,831) and attempts (3,155).

Former Washington Commanders athletic trainer Ryan Vermillion will avoid jail time in relation to an investigation by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.

According to A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports, Vermillion will essentially serve a year of probation after a federal judge approved a plea deal Friday. Perez noted that while the exact allegations Perez faced weren't made public, sources said he illegally provided several Commanders players with opioids.

In October, the DEA raided the Commanders' headquarters and Vermillion's home.

The NFL confirmed that Vermillion provided opioids to players without a prescription and also announced that it had suspended him indefinitely. He won't be eligible to apply for reinstatement for at least one year:

The NFL has suspended former Washington athletic trainer Ryan Vermillion indefinitely and launched a joint investigation with the NFLPA. pic.twitter.com/5V8eEAySzh

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 19, 2022

It was also announced that the NFL and NFL Players Association will launch a joint investigation into the Commanders and whether they complied with the NFL's Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. It was noted the team is complying with the probe.

Vermillion was the Carolina Panthers' head athletic trainer for 18 years, with the final nine years of his tenure coming under head coach Ron Rivera.

The Panthers fired Rivera in 2019, but when the Commanders hired him as their head coach in 2020, he brought Vermillion with him to Washington.

Per Perez, sources were surprised that Vermillion was allowed to agree to a deal that saw him avoid jail time considering the "facts of the case."

Perez also reported that if Vermillion abides by his probation, he can move to have the case expunged from his record at the end of the year.

While Vermillion has not officially been fired by the Commanders, the team placed him on leave in October following the raid.

Al Bellamy, who was the director of athletic training for Temple University for the past nine years, is now listed as Washington's head trainer.

Washington Commanders president Jason Wright ripped into reporter Scott Abraham on Friday, calling him a "pompous, unprofessional mess" for his line of questioning to quarterback Carson Wentz in a recent interview.

Thankfully, Carson demonstrated grace & class in response to this pompous, unprofessional mess. I recognize you have made a living on childlike provocation but it needs to be called out. Don’t expect special access and good luck building rapport with the guys @Scott7news . https://t.co/fegxgvcJmr

— Jason Wright (@whoisjwright) August 12, 2022

Abraham pulled no punches in the interview, questioning Wentz on his unceremonious exits from Indianapolis and Philadelphia and discussing the quarterback's inconsistent accuracy in camp.

"Real talk here, Carson: It's been well-documented, Philly didn't want you, Indy didn't want you. Do you think this is your last chance to prove you can be a starting quarterback in the NFL?" Abraham asked.

Wright seemed to have a particular issue with the way Abraham phrased the questions, saying it was disrespectful in a reply to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk:

You can honestly say, “Philly didn’t want you, Indy didn’t want you” is an appropriate tone? We value giving extraordinary access to local media & Lord knows can’t avoid hard questions here. But disrespect should never be tolerated and we should defend our guys when it surfaces.

— Jason Wright (@whoisjwright) August 12, 2022

I think the tone is obvious. Private conversations have been had and enough is enough. We’ve spent the last two years re-introducing ourselves and establishing a collaborative way of working with media. But being kind & values driven does not mean being a doormat.

— Jason Wright (@whoisjwright) August 12, 2022

Whether Abraham was being disrespectful is ultimately a subjective opinion. Wentz seemed a little taken aback by the straightforward nature of the questioning but answered without incident.

However, Abraham's line of questioning is unquestionably accurate. The Philadelphia Eagles paid the largest dead cap hit in NFL history ($33.8 million) to trade Wentz in 2021. The Colts, who traded a 2021 third-round pick and 2022 first-round pick for Wentz, dumped him off almost a year to the day later for minimal return.

More tellingly, Indianapolis replaced Wentz with Matt Ryan, a quarterback who is eight years older and who performed worse than Wentz in every statistical category last season. It's not often you have a team owner publicly calling the decision to acquire a player a "mistake." Nor is it very often when a coach is apologizing to said owner for vouching for a quarterback.

Wentz is a player with a reputation for not always being the easiest person to get along with. He's also playing for his third organization in as many seasons and is likely being given his last opportunity to serve as an unquestioned starter.

There is plenty of reason for optimism in Washington. Wentz, while wholly unspectacular, put up solid numbers last season. He threw for 3,563 yards and 27 touchdowns against seven interceptions. ESPN's QBR metric gave him a 54.7 overall grade, which was ninth among qualifying quarterbacks, and Pro Football Focus also graded him out positively.

It's possible the Commanders bought low on a distressed asset that will help stabilize the quarterback position.

That said, it's also not a good look for a team president to publicly rebuke a reporter and threaten to limit access over a line of questioning he disagreed with. Florio pointing out that these threats could limit reporters' willingness to ask tough questions is fair. That's particularly concerning in Washington, given the organization's most recent public headlines have involved changing an insensitive team name after decades of public pressure, a sexual misconduct workplace scandal, and allegations of financial impropriety by team owner Dan Snyder.

During the Washington Commanders' training camp this summer, a number of videos have gone public showing new quarterback Carson Wentz appearing to struggle with his accuracy.

During an interview with Scott Abraham of 7News DC, Wentz addressed those missed throws:

Me - "Carson, there's a growing narrative that you've been inaccurate in training camp. Is that a fair characterization?@cj_wentz - "For one, it's camp. I didn't know that, so thank you."

Watch the entire back and forth. Good stuff from the @Commanders QB1.

More on @7NewsDC! pic.twitter.com/LR9Yr2TQeY

— Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) August 11, 2022

I'm my biggest critic, so I come back after practice and I kick myself over one, two three, four, five plays. But at the same time, there's usually things we can learn from it. There's usually like, 'OK here's what I was seeing, this is what I was feeling,' and then go talk to the receiver. 'Hey Terry [McLaurin], what were you feeling on that one?' Maybe shutting it down in that zone, or ripping through that zone. Different things that opens up conversations.

So I'm definitely bummed when I miss them, but at the same time, let's use them as learning opportunities because it is a lot of our first times together. There's been OTAs, but a lot of it is new and more or less 'live reps' against our defense. Just seeing things different, so trying to be as clean as I can be. Hasn't been perfect by any means and I can continue to get better and I will. But at the same time, I try not to beat myself up over it and say, 'Hey, how can we learn from it so it doesn't happen the next time, but especially on Sundays this year.'

Washington head coach Ron Rivera has defended his quarterback this week, telling reporters he believes the accuracy concerns are overblown.

Ron Rivera on the overall practice and then on Carson Wentz and accuracy. pic.twitter.com/bHITi5Y2Og

— John Keim (@john_keim) August 7, 2022

"It's a lot better than you give him credit for, just because of the way things happen in practice," he said. "There's a lot of little nuances that we see that we look at that we get to review. Yeah, there's some inaccuracy. But it's nothing that we are overly concerned [about]."

Rivera also said he wasn't worried about anything that happened between Wentz and his two former organizations, the Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts, who each gave up on the veteran quarterback.

"He's here because we want him here"

Ron Rivera on Carson Wentz and the opportunity he has with the @Commanders #HTTC I #NFLTrainingCamp pic.twitter.com/i3PM6iW47W

— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) August 10, 2022

"The narratives are all unfair," he said. "I mean, obviously he left each place for their reasons. OK, great—that's their reasons. He's here for our reason. He's here because we want him here. He's here because we see what he can do, we see what he's done. And based on what we do, we see there's an opportunity. And that's why he's here."

"And we have a lot of confidence in what we've seen so far," he continued. "The guys have all assimilated to him. They've rallied around him. And that's a huge plus because, again, based on what we went through for the last couple of years—and probably before I got here—trying to find the quarterback."

But despite what Wentz and Rivera say, it's hard to note that some of the quarterback's throws in camp and decisions have been downright poor:

Some early drills with Carson Wentz (media can film certain parts of practice so this obviously isn’t the entirety of his day): pic.twitter.com/nGJiuwHEVD

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) August 7, 2022

You don’t hear this too often: Montez Sweat was chasing a scrambling Carson Wentz from behind and was yelling “Get rid of it! Get rid of it!” Wentz ran out of bounds instead.

— Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras) August 5, 2022

Granted, what happens in the games is far more important than what occurs on the practice field, as players get back into the swing of things. But accuracy has been an issue for Wentz, as evidenced by his 62.6 career completion percentage and 57 interceptions in 85 career starts, including an NFL-worst 15 in the 2020 season.

That and the tendency to hold onto the ball too long have always been knocks against Wentz. And dating back to the 2018 season, his teams have gone just 26-29-1 in his starts.

This just in from 2020: Eagles "not concerned" about Carson Wentz's accuracy issues early in season https://t.co/4aHDlkfJmJ pic.twitter.com/uboLUAb1g6

— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) August 9, 2022

Washington will be hoping to rediscover the version of Wentz that looked like an MVP candidate in 2017 (33 touchdowns, seven interceptions in 13 games) before he tore his ACL. That player looked like a burgeoning superstar. In the years that followed, Wentz showed flashes of that level of play but struggled to consistently perform.

The Wentz that shows up for the Commanders in 2022 will ultimately determine the fate of their season.

The last two offseasons have seen Carson Wentz make unceremonious exits from Indianapolis and Philadelphia, leading to a reputation that the quarterback is difficult to work with.

Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera does not seem to have had the same experience.

"The narratives are all unfair," Rivera said Wednesday on SiriusXM. "I mean, obviously he left each place for their reasons. OK, great—that’s their reasons. He’s here for our reason. He’s here because we want him here. He’s here because we see what he can do, we see what he’s done. And based on what we do, we see there’s an opportunity. And that’s why he’s here.

"And we have a lot of confidence in what we’ve seen so far. The guys have all assimilated to him. They’ve rallied around him. And that’s a huge plus because, again, based on what we went through for the last couple of years—and probably before I got here—trying to find the quarterback."

"He's here because we want him here"

Ron Rivera on Carson Wentz and the opportunity he has with the @Commanders #HTTC I #NFLTrainingCamp pic.twitter.com/i3PM6iW47W

— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) August 10, 2022

While Rivera seems to have a solid relationship with Wentz, it's hard to categorize his reputation as "unfair." The Eagles took a $33.8 million dead-cap hit to trade Wentz last offseason, and the Colts dumped him off a year later in a deal that was a washing of their hands of the Wentz experience.

“It's just, for us, it was just it was something that we had to move away from as a franchise — it was very obvious,” Colts owner Jim Irsay told Zak Keefer of The Athletic.

That's not exactly what an owner typically says about a player who had a great reputation around the locker room. Keefer also reported Colts coach Frank Reich apologized to Irsay for vouching for Wentz when Indianapolis made the trade last March.

Wentz threw for 3,563 yards and 27 touchdowns against seven interceptions last season, numbers that were more than strong enough to bring him back if there weren't other issues. While it's clear he's not an elite NFL starter, Wentz finished ninth in the NFL in QBR last season and outperformed Matt Ryan, his replacement in Indianapolis, by every objective measure.

It's possible Rivera is getting the best possible version of Wentz and this latest change of scenery will work out swimmingly. That said, Wentz's falling out in his first two NFL stops is likely playing a factor in his desire to make this situation work.

Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera defended Carson Wentz amid reports of inaccuracy in training camp:

Ron Rivera on the overall practice and then on Carson Wentz and accuracy. pic.twitter.com/bHITi5Y2Og

— John Keim (@john_keim) August 7, 2022

"It’s a lot better than you give him credit for, just because of the way things happen in practice," Rivera said (h/t Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk). "There’s a lot of little nuances that we see that we look at that we get to review. Yeah, there’s some inaccuracy. But it’s nothing that we are overly concerned [about]."

The question about Wentz's accuracy issues came after Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post detailed the problem after Saturday's practice:

Carson Wentz has had a rough day. Many passes thrown over the head of his receiver or too far in front.

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) August 6, 2022

Wentz heads into 2022 under a lot of pressure after being traded in each of the last two offseasons. After a strong first four seasons in the NFL, he struggled with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020 and was up-and-down with the Indianapolis Colts in 2021.

The 29-year-old has a chance at a fresh start in Washington, but the first impression is not promising.

The Washington Commanders announced Friday defensive end Ryan Kerrigan is set to sign a one-day contract to retire as a member of the franchise.

.@RyanKerrigan91 is officially retiring a member of the Burgundy & Gold

Thank you for everything and congratulations on an amazing career! pic.twitter.com/ysee8ESI6x

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) July 29, 2022

Kerrigan spent the first 10 years of his career in Washington after being selected in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft. He recorded 457 total tackles, 95.5 sacks, 26 forced fumbles, 25 passes defended and three interceptions across 172 appearances.

From 91 himself pic.twitter.com/udGgeXdBAn

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) July 29, 2022

He played one season with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021 to finish his career.

Kerrigan, 33, emerged as a top prospect while recording 32.5 sacks in 36 games across his final three seasons at Purdue. He earned the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Award and unanimous All-American honors as a senior in 2010.

The Indiana native made an instant impact in the NFL, recording 7.5 sacks during his rookie season, and never finished with less than 5.5 sacks across his decade with the team. He took down the opposing quarterback a career-high 13.5 times in 2014.

In 2020, he passed Dexter Manley (91.5) to set the franchise record for most sacks.

Kerrigan, a four-time Pro Bowler, also took on the role of mentor during the latter stages of his Commanders career, something defensive tackle Daron Payne appreciated.

"Everything he does is the right way to do things, and you can learn so much from him if you just sit back and watch him," Payne said in the announcement. "I appreciate him, I love him to death and I'm just happy that I got a chance to play with him."

Kerrigan played a limited role for the Eagles during his final season, tallying just three tackles in 16 games.

While his career numbers and accolades will likely fall short of enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, his consistent, long-term impact on Washington's defense deserves an eventual place on the team's Ring of Fame.