Washington Commanders Reveal DT Johnny Newton Needs Second Foot Surgery

The Washington Commanders' second round pick in the NFL Draft missed rookie minicamp and will miss more time as he needs a second foot surgery.

Oct 21, 2023; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton / Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

ASHBURN, Va. -- What goes up must come down they say and while the Washington Commanders have been riding high after high this offseason there was bound to be a setback along the way.

We learned on Saturday from Commanders head coach Dan Quinn the first setback in his tenure is coming in the form of a second foot surgery needed for second round pick defensive tackle Johnny Newton.

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This second procedure will be done on his left foot, not on the right foot which he had a procedure done on in January ahead of Washington selecting him in the NFL Draft.

"The foot that he had the procedure done is actually doing really well. So, he has an issue with the other foot. He'll get a procedure done in the next week and then get back started and get going with the process again," Quinn said Saturday after the team's second rookie minicamp practice. "But man, do we have high hopes for him. Like he is such a kick-ass competitor."

Oct 21, 2023; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton / Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Quinn declined to put a timeline on Newton's recovery time once the procedure is complete but this new development means the rookie will miss the entirety of his rookie minicamp as well as the team's first session with veteran's present next week. It's likely he'll miss more than that.

The surgery Newton had on his right foot earlier this year was to repair a partial Jones fracture which he suffered while playing for the Illinois Fighting Illini during the 2023 NCAAF season.

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Commanders medical staff discovered the new injury while conducting a check up of his original injury, the team said.

With Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen on the roster for Washington its not in dire need of defensive tackle help, though getting their second round pick back on the field will be something the team and Newton himself look to do as soon as possible, even while approaching it as smart as possible.

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