The Washington Commanders (4-2) lost a really tough game to the Baltimore Ravens (4-2) on Sunday and the latest news regarding Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jonathan Allen isn't going to make things any better.
Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Allen tore his pec during the Week 6 loss. He left the game early in the fourth quarter and never returned, signaling that something was amiss. It was just a matter of eventually finding out how bad things were.
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn confirmed the injury when he spoke with reporters on Monday. It's a big blow, Allen is still considered to be one of the better defensive tackles in the league and his 2.0 sacks were tied for third on the team coming into the Ravens matchup.
"Jon has a pec tear and it's a big blow for us," said Quinn. "Jon Allen's honestly been a staple player, you know, here in the play style and the attitude. So yeah, we're really bummed for him as the man and the ball player, and we'll certainly miss him this season. He should likely get surgery in the days ahead."
Replacing Allen won't be easy, even if the Commanders are going to follow the imperative mantra of "next man up". Fortunately, they drafted Jer'Zhan "Johnny" Newton in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, so the cupboard isn't completely empty. Still, he's a rookie and it often takes rookie defensive lineman a couple years to fully develop in the NFL.
In other words: The entire load can't fall on Newton's shoulders. Other guys are going to have to step up because Allen isn't a guy you can just replace.
"It'll be a multitude of people in roles, and how we can feature guys to do that, because John's rare and he's got unique skills and talent," said Quinn. "So it's not just plug and play. The good news is we have a big, deep crew, and we'll feature all of them little bit differently and in finding the ways that we can do that, but we'll certainly miss Jon [and] the strength and the attitude that he brings inside."
Allen could easily be looking for a new home in 2025
The two-time Pro Bowler was the subject of trade speculation throughout the offseason and his future became even blurrier after the team drafted Newton. Now, with his upcoming recovery and a $15.5 million base salary in 2025, it's easy to see why Sunday could be Allen's last game in a Commanders uniform.
2025 represents the last year of Allen's deal and the Commanders will save $17 million in cap room, while only taking a dead cap hit of $6 million, if they cut Allen. The numbers are the same if they trade him before June 1 and next year will also be Allen's age-30 season and we all know how the 30-year-old threshold is one NFL teams take very seriously.
It doesn't stop there, either. Allen's production had been dipping over the last couple of years and obviously it'll come to a screeching halt, this year. All of this could certainly come to a head, with parting ways as the end result.
Quinn also hands out Dorance Armstrong and Javonte Jean-Baptiste updates
Allen's injury wasn't the only big injury to happen during the Ravens game and along the defensive line. Starting defensive end Dorance Armstrong left the game early in the first half with a rib injury and rookie Javonte Jean-Baptiste didn't finish the game either.
Per Quinn, Armstrong's injury is an oblique injury and he's getting more imaging done on Monday. Jean-Baptiste is dealing with an ankle injury and his X-rays came back negative, which is obviously a good thing. The recovery timeline for both guys is currently unknown.
All three injuries are very unfortunate, especially considering how much progress the defensive line had made before the Ravens game. It's all part of football, however, and it'll be interesting to see just how the Commanders adjust over the coming weeks.
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