The Washington Commanders pulled off a surprising upset over the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football, improving their record to 2-1 early in the season. However, they suffered a setback as running back Austin Ekeler left the game in the third quarter due to injury and did not return.
After further evaluation, it was revealed that Ekeler sustained a concussion and a laceration on his ear, as reported by Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network. He did not accompany the team to Arizona following the game.
“Commanders RB Austin Ekeler suffered a concussion and laceration on his ear,” Wolfe shared on X (formerly Twitter). “He flew back to Ashburn, Va. after the game instead of traveling overnight with the team to Arizona ahead of Sunday’s game vs. the Cardinals, per HC Dan Quinn.”
Ekeler had a limited role before exiting, touching the ball just five times while playing behind starting running back Brian Robinson Jr. However, he did score a 24-yard touchdown in the second quarter. If he is sidelined, the Commanders will miss his experience and ability as a pass-catching threat.
The Commanders’ offense has been on a hot streak during their two-game winning run. Led by quarterback Jayden Daniels and head coach Kliff Kingsbury, Washington’s offense has not punted in two games and has scored on 14 consecutive drives, excluding end-of-half kneel downs, dating back to their Week 1 loss to the Buccaneers.
