Commanders’ Austin Ekeler Lost Memory After Taking Huge Hit During Cowboys Game

Austin Ekeler opened up regarding his head injury he suffered a couple of weeks back.
Nov 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler (30) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Nov 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler (30) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
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The Washington Commanders secured a victory this past weekend, defeating the Tennessee Titans handily in a 42-19 win. They did so without running back Austin Ekeler, though, as he's out with a concussion.

The win over the Titans might have snapped a three-game winning streak for Washington, but in the last of those three losses, the squad saw Ekeler take a massive hit that saw him be placed on Injured Reserve. It was his second concussion of the season after he took the hard hit.

Ekeler knew he was concussed once he regained consciousness. That's right, he doesn't even remember what took place right after the hit, as he recently detailed.

"I didn't even remember how I got off the field," Ekeler said. "I just remember coming to—as far as remembering stuff—I had short-term memory loss. I remember my wife was sitting in the room, and I'm getting evaluated by our medical staff in the back room. That's when I started to remember things, and then all of a sudden, OK, we're getting in the back of the ambulance to go get a CT scan. I was definitely concussed and seeing some major symptoms there."

Ekeker's second concussion was much more severe than his first, which could leave him out for the season -- postseason included. However, according to him, he's taking things week by week and working with the team to figure out his best next step.

The 29-year-old running back has 355 rushing yards and four touchdowns while adding 346 receiving yards on 36 catches this season. The Commanders will have to lean into Brian Robinson Jr. and Jeremy McNichols in his absence.


Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.

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More Washington Commanders News

• Commanders Cut Former First-Round Pick Emmanuel Forbes

• Commanders Get Back on Track, Beat Titans

• Commanders Rediscover Power Presence in Win Over Titans

• Commanders Find Unsung Hero in Win vs. Titans


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Kade Kimble
KADE KIMBLE

Kade has been covering a wide variety of teams ranging from the NFL to the NBA and college athletics since joining Sports Illustrated's FanNation in 2022.