Washington Commanders' DE Efe Obada 'Progressing Very Nicely'

Washington Commanders defensive end Efe Obada could make his season debut on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.

Some much-needed help is on the way for the Washington Commanders' defense. 

Efe Obada, who began the season on the Injured Reserve with a knee injury was activated off of the list and is questionable heading into the Commanders' (2-3) game on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons (3-2). 

Obada was designated to return on Wednesday and participated in practice. Ron Rivera was pleased with what he saw from Obada and noted how he's been around the team throughout his recovery process.

“He's progressing very nicely," Rivera said after practice on Wednesday. "He's been around, he’s been in the meetings, he’s been out watching the walkthroughs, so his mental take of it is very good. Once they cleared him to start conditioning, he's been doing a great job at that. He really has. So, he was out at practice today, moved around very, very well. We're really pleased.”

Efe Obada hitting Cleveland Browns quarterback Joshua Dobbs / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Obada is in his second season with Washington. In 2022, he had four sacks, four tackles for loss and eight quarterback hits. 

The sixth-year defensive end spent the first three years of his career with the Carolina Panthers (2018-2020) then played for the Buffalo Bills in 2021. 

Obada's potential return couldn't come at a better time for the Commanders' defense, which was expected to be the strength of the team. In their last four games, they've allowed an average of 36 points per game. 

Washington will look to snap its three-game losing streak when it heads to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to face the Falcons at 1 p.m. ET.