Commanders’ DE Javontae Jean-Baptiste will undergo an MRI back in northern Virginia, but the team’s fear is that he tore his pec in today’s loss in Atlanta, per source.
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) September 28, 2025
The Washington Commanders dropped to 2-2 on the season with Sunday’s 34-27 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. But, for the third straight week, the Commanders have suffered a significant injury.
Per Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic, the Commanders fear that second-year defensive end Javontae Jean-Baptiste suffered a torn pectoral muscle Sunday. Jean-Baptiste will undergo further tests, but if he did indeed suffer a torn pec, he will miss significant time.
Last season, defensive tackle Jonathan Allen suffered a torn pec in a Week 6 game at Baltimore, but returned for Week 17. Allen suffered a partially torn pec, which allowed him to rehab and return. If Jean-Baptiste sustained a partially torn pec, that would be much better news than the alternative, as he’d have a chance to return.
A seventh-round pick out of Notre Dame in the 2024 NFL draft, Jean-Baptiste showed promise as a reserve edge rusher during his rookie season. This season, Jean-Baptiste has become a regular part of Washington’s edge rusher rotation, showing an improvement against the run. He would be a significant loss when you consider that the Commanders lost defensive end Deatrich Wise for the season in Week 2. As a result of Wise’s injury, Washington brought back veteran edge rusher Preston Smith. Smith has yet to play since signing two weeks ago.
Jean-Baptiste is the latest injury for Washington. In addition to Wise, running back Austin Ekeler was lost for the season with a torn Achilles. Last week, starting safety Will Harris suffered a fractured fibula and will miss significant time. Quarterback Jayden Daniels has missed the previous two games with a knee injury, while tight end John Bates and wide receiver Noah Brown have also missed the last two games with injuries. Last week, wide receiver Terry McLaurin injured his quad and is “week-to-week.”
Head coach Dan Quinn speaks to the media on Monday, but may not provide an update on Jean-Baptiste until the Commanders return to practice on Wednesday.