Change of Command: Who's Washington's New Center After Chase Roullier Injury?

Washington Commanders center Chase Roullier was placed on Injured Reserve this week after suffering a knee injury. So who will snap balls to Carson Wentz this weekend against the Philadelphia Eagles?

Jeremy Brener | Sep 23, 2022

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The Washington Commanders are undergoing a massive change to their offensive line this weekend ahead of their game Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The change comes after veteran center Chase Roullier suffered a knee injury that could knock him out for the year.

As a result of the injury, the team signed journeyman center Nick Martin ... the brother of Dallas Cowboys All-Pro Zack Martin. Roullier's injury came on the penultimate play of last week's loss against the Detroit Lions, and backup lineman Wes Martin took the final snap at center. However, neither Martin is expected to be the team's starting center against the Eagles. That honor goes to Wes Schweitzer.

"Carson had a lot of work with Wes and they've had a lot of communication," offensive coordinator Scott Turner said. "Wes has played center for us before. So it should be a smooth transition. I'm glad Wes is now healthy again but you know that we've had some experience, so it's not like a brand new guy coming in. So that should help us in that transition.”

Schweitzer, a sixth-round pick by the Atlanta Falcons in 2016, played center at times during training camp while Roullier was recovering from his fibula fracture from last season. He's accrued 57 starts in his NFL career, but only one is at the center position. He'll be expected to log a couple more this season ... maybe even for the rest of the year. But despite his lack of experience at the position, the Commanders are confident he can deliver.

"Just in his past he's been more of a guard center, like a play guard, be a backup center, you know, out of necessity." Turner said. "He had to play center for us last year and played very well. He's really a strong physical guy."

Schweitzer and the rest of the Commanders hope to return to their winning ways Sunday against the Eagles. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.

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Published Sep 23, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.