Commanders DT Phidarian Mathis Out For Season; How Will Washington Replace Rookie?

Mathis made his NFL debut Sunday, but won't play the rest of the year.

Jeremy Brener | Sep 12, 2022

Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports

In this story:

Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders are celebrating their season-opening win against the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday, but the victory came at a price.

Second-round rookie defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis tore his meniscus and will need surgery that will hold him out for the rest of the season, per NFL Network.

Mathis injured his knee in the first quarter of Sunday's win against the Jaguars. The former Alabama Crimson Tide defensive tackle was expected to play a key role in the defensive line rotation this season alongside Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne, but now the Commanders must adjust.

Luckily for Washington, the team drafted Mathis as an insurance policy for beyond the 2022 season, meaning the injury won't affect the defensive line as much as it could have. The depth at the position should allow the Commanders to operate almost as normally as they would had Mathis not been hurt.

The likelihood is that Allen and Payne will start and soak up some of the reps that Mathis would get, but some bench players will also see some run. The Commanders employ sixth-year veteran Efe Obada, who was listed as a backup defensive tackle next to Mathis in the team's initial depth chart released ahead of the first game of the season. The team also has Daniel Wise, who played sparingly last season for the team.

In all likelihood, the team will sign another defensive lineman from either the practice squad or free agency to fulfill Mathis' loss in the unit.

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Commanders? Click Here.

Follow Commander Country on Twitter.

Published Sep 12, 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.