The Commanders pulled off a shocking upset of the NFC’s top-seeded Lions within the divisional spherical contest, although the win got here with a value. Per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Community, Washington fears that beginning proper guard Sam Cosmi suffered a big knee harm throughout the sport, and Cosmi is more likely to miss the rest of the membership’s postseason run because of this.
Cosmi, who will flip 26 in February, was chosen by the Commanders within the second spherical of the 2021 draft. He would have been eligible for unrestricted free company this offseason, however after he turned in a stellar 2023 marketing campaign – Professional Soccer Focus ranked him because the fourth-best guard out of 79 qualifiers – Washington made positive to stop the transformed sort out from hitting the market.
Earlier than the 2024 common season obtained underway, the Commanders licensed a four-year, $74M pact for Cosmi, a deal that retains the Texas alum beneath membership management by way of 2028. Whereas solely $26.6M of the contract worth was assured at signing, the group clearly envisions him as a long-term O-line fixture.
PFF was not as excessive on Cosmi’s 2024 work because it was on his 2023 efforts, however his 67.8 total grade nonetheless positioned him as the location’s Twenty third-best guard out of 75 certified gamers. His work in pass-blocking remained sturdy – he yielded only one sack and even fewer pressures than he did in 2023 – although his run-blocking suffered a bit in PFF’s estimation.
Nonetheless, his loss can be acutely felt because the Commanders search to safe their first Tremendous Bowl look because the 1991 season. Cosmi is arguably the very best blocker on the membership’s offensive entrance, and nearly as good as rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels is, dropping one in every of Daniels’ high protectors will sting.
Plus, any knee harm of a sure magnitude {that a} participant suffers at this level within the calendar might have an effect on that participant’s availability for the next season. An upcoming MRI will reveal extra, however for now, it seems sure that the Commanders will depend on Trent Scott to fill the RG void for the remainder of the playoffs.
