The Washington Commanders are gearing up for their Week 1 date against the Arizona Cardinals, but they could be without two key pieces due to injury.

Commanders Could Be Shorthanded In Week 1

: #Commanders star Chase Young’s status for week one is uncertain as he continues to deal with a stinger injury, HC Ron Rivera told reporters

They could also possibly be without Terry McLaurin for the season opener vs Arizona pic.twitter.com/I0X54k3U0k

— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) August 31, 2023

Head coach Ron Rivera told reporters on Thursday that pass rusher Chase Young’s status for the opening game of the season is unknown. Young suffered what was called a “stinger” in the team’s first preseason game, and hasn’t participated in a full practice ever since. Information on the situation has been cloudy, as Rivera has declined to comment on Chase’s ailment any further.

Young’s early career has been marred by injuries. After winning the award for Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2020, he has played in a total of just 11 games since. A nasty ACL tear cut his 2021 season short in Week 10, and it was bad enough to cause an extended recovery time. He played in just 3 games last year, notching a total of five sacks.

While the Commanders have recently learned to live without Young on the field, the potential absence of Terry McLaurin weighs even heavier.

Howell Needs McLaurin Back In The Lineup

Good news out of the MRI: Sources say there is optimism for Week 1 for Terry McLaurin. More day-to-day than anything, with the scans showing no major injury. https://t.co/kvDlGf3x16

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 22, 2023

McLaurin is reportedly suffering from turf toe, an injury that he sustained over a week ago in the Commanders preseason game against the Ravens. He hasn’t practiced since, either.

They’ll need him to have a speedy recovery. McLaurin has been the team’s leader in receiving yards in each of the past 4 seasons, regularly putting up 1,000+ yard performances despite the heavy rotation of quarterbacks throwing him the ball. Current QB Sam Howell has little experience in the NFL, and will need all the help he can get from his weapons.

On the bright side, the Cardinals aren’t the most dangerous of opponents. They are widely projected to be the league’s worst team, so missing key players against them wouldn’t be the end of the world. But they’d better hope that good health comes soon, as they’ll take on the Bills and Eagles in consecutive games in Weeks 3 and 4.

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