The Washington Commanders didn’t just walk off the field with a 27-18 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night—they walked off losing their running back, Austin Ekeler, to a serious injury. Austin Ekeler went down in the fourth quarter on a third-and-10 route, collapsing to the turf without contact. And then came the gut punch for fans and Dan Quinn. Team insiders confirmed it is an Achilles injury.

It typically takes 9 to 12 months. So, now the Commanders have to face an entire season without him. And the timing makes it sting even more. This is the second year of Ekeler’s two-year deal in Washington, following a 2024 campaign where he suited up for 12 games, posting 367 yards and four touchdowns. And now it’s likely that the last game on Lambeau Field against the Packers was his final game.

On Saturday, Ekeler finally broke his silence. Posting on Instagram Stories, the 30-year-old shared a pic in his Commanders uniform with a simple, heartfelt message: “Thank you all for the love and well wishes. I appreciate you all 💜.” Gratitude in the middle of heartbreak. What was supposed to spark the backfield is now sidelined, leaving Washington scrambling to fill the void. The Western Colorado product, once one of the NFL’s deadliest dual-threat backs, now faces a brutal rehab road just to get back to full strength. Washington will support him for as long as his deal runs, but the reality is that getting back to peak form could take longer than his contract allows.

Factor in the concussion issues from last season and the years of punishment on his body, and you start to wonder—will the league give up on Austin Ekeler before he even gets another snap? Financially, Ekeler is secure. He’s earned $35.49 million just from NFL contracts, and with 9,053 career scrimmage yards, 73 touchdowns, second-team All-Pro honors, and even Offensive Player of the Year votes in 2022, he’s already beaten every odd stacked against an undrafted back. He owes the game nothing. If this truly is the end, he walks away having left a legacy that outpaced every expectation.

But now Dan Quinn will have to make some changes after losing the heartbeat to their offensive strategy in 2025.

Austin Ekeler’s loss leaves Washington scrambling for answers

Austin Ekeler gave the Commanders eight carries and 17 yards against the Packers. He was one of only three Washington players to touch the ball on the ground, alongside Jayden Daniels, who had seven carries for 17 yards, and Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who had four carries for 17 yards. With Ekeler shelved, the Commanders will have to pivot toward Croskey-Merritt and Jeremy McNichols.

Chris Rodriguez Jr., inactive through the first two opening contests, may be forced into a bigger role. Jayden Daniels just lost his most reliable third-down safety valve. And the locker room is still reeling. Veteran wideout Deebo Samuel summed it up best: “That kind of takes the fight out of you a little bit. You know all the work they put in all summer long. Just to see them go down, it kind of hurt.” For Washington, it’s like losing a heartbeat.

But Ekeler wasn’t the only casualty. Tight end John Bates went down. Wideout Noah Brown followed. Even Daniels had a scare of his own. He tried to frame the loss in grit and reality: “We’ve got guys that have got to step up and are more than capable of stepping up. But it’s always tough losing veteran players.” He’s right. Now Quinn has to fix this offense for a clash with the Raiders, and the question hangs heavy: can this team patch its holes fast enough, or is the season already springing leaks too big to fix?