Washington's best win of the season came with a bill attached. Two days after the 27-10 win over the Eagles , the Commanders placed defensive tackles Daron Payne and Javon Kinlaw and running back Jeremy McNichols on injured reserve. Payne (foot) and McNichols (foot) aren't expected back this season, and Kinlaw's (knee) timeline is to be determined, according to Commanders reporter Tashan Reed .
The Commanders also claimed running back Robert Henry Jr. off waivers from Seattle to patch a backfield already missing Jacory Croskey-Merritt.
Nov 1, 2026; Landover, Maryland, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee (16) throws against Washington Commanders linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson (45) during the first half at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Payne's injury hits on two fronts. He was the anchor of the interior line, and his expiring contract , which carries a $27.95 million cap hit this season according to Spotrac , made him one of Washington's most logical trade chips. As we wrote when the foot injury first surfaced, it took away their best trade chip before the Nov. 10 deadline.
Kinlaw's placement was the surprise. Because IR stints are counted from the day a player is placed, he will miss the next four games even though he sat out Sunday, 106.7 The Fan's Grant Paulsen noted . ESPN's John Keim pointed out that Washington has good depth at the position, and the Eagles game backs him up. With Payne and Kinlaw both inactive, the Commanders posted a season-high 46.5% pressure rate and got 10 pressures on 12 blitzes, according to Next Gen Stats . K'Lavon Chaisson led the way with seven pressures, the second-most of his career in a single game.
Stopping the run is the bigger question. Paulsen noted that the Commanders now face teams that run the ball at above-average success rates without both tackles, and the Rams' backfield of Kyren Williams and Blake Corum ran for 192 yards against the Raiders two weeks ago.
At 2-4-1, Washington is back in the NFC East conversation , but the line that carried the Eagles win now has to do it again against the Rams with fewer bodies, while Henry gets thrown into a backfield that just lost two backs.
This story was originally published by Athlon on Nov 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
