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A bad start for the Washington Commanders against the Green Bay Packers got even worse midway through the second quarter when Deatrich Wise Jr. had to be carted off the field. The veteran defensive lineman appeared to suffer a leg injury when attempting to block a Brandon McManus extra point.
Wise entered the game questionable with a knee injury. He was ruled out for the remainder of the game with a quad injury at halftime.
Washington already trailed 13-0 when the injury occurred, having allowed a first-quarter 5-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Love to Romeo Doubs and a 2-yard touchdown run by Josh Jacobs.
Wise, 31, arrived in Washington this offseason on a one-year, $5 million deal after spending the first eight years of his career with the New England Patriots. He projected to be a key part of an overhauled defensive front that could hold up better against the run after Washington allowed 4.8 yards per rush last season, 28th in the NFL. He had three tackles — including one for a loss — and a quarterback hit in Washington’s season-opening 21-6 win over the Giants and helped limit New York to just 74 rushing yards.
Though the Commanders don’t have a single standout pass rusher, they do feel better about the overall depth of the defensive front. A serious Wise injury would be a significant blow, though. Javontae Jean-Baptiste, Jacob Martin and potentially Von Miller would see more time in Wise’s absence.