A new slow-motion video shows just how gruesome Austin Ekeler’s injury looked near the end of the Washington Commanders-Green Bay Packers “Thursday Night Football” game at Lambeau Field.
Aside from losing 28-17 to the Packers in a sloppy Thursday night tilt, Dan Quinn’s Commanders suffered two players with severe-looking injuries. Defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. was carted off late in the first half with a leg injury during an extra point attempt.
Late in the fourth quarter, Austin Ekeler also had to be carted off after suffering a non-contact injury. And in this new slo-mo video, the injury looks even worse than what we saw in real time:
Before leaving, Ekeler had 17 rushing yards on eight carries and two catches for seven yards, per ESPN. In his first season with Washington a year ago, Ekeler posted 733 yards of offense and four touchdowns, helping them to a surprise NFC Championship Game appearance.
We’ll pass along more details on Austin Ekeler’s injury when they become available. Hopefully, he avoided the absolute worst-case scenario and will manage to return at some point this season.
The End Of Austin Ekeler?
While still an effective player in the league, Ekeler has noticeably lost a step or two over the past few seasons, seeing his speed diminish while his workload decreases in Washington.
At 30-years-old, he’s coming off a season where he put up just 367 yards and four touchdowns on the ground in 12 games, but he did manage to add another 366 yards through the air on 36 receptions. He was also named to the All-Pro team as a kick returner.
Achilles tears are not the easiest thing to recover from, especially for running backs in their 30s. Regardless, we’re praying for a strong recovery for the 5’10” superstar who’s set to become a free agent in 2026.
