On Saturday, the Washington Commanders revealed a disappointing update for one of their rookies. The Commanders held their rookie minicamp this weekend. One rookie is out indefinitely after learning they must undergo another surgery.
Jer’Zhan Newton suffered an injury in college
Per CBS Sports, Commanders second-round pick Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton suffered a partial Jones fracture in his foot last season. Ben Standig with The Athletic reported Newton has attended the Commanders’ offseason workouts wearing a walking boot:
Newton underwent surgery in January to repair a partial Jones fracture in his foot. This may have been the primary reason he fell down the draft board to the end of Round 2, as he was originally expected to go much earlier.
Newton’s injury from college was known to the Commanders when they selected him in April. However, it’s unclear if they knew about the new injury they reported to the press on Saturday.
The Washington Commanders rookie needs another surgery
Per JP Finlay with NBC Sports, Newton suffered a partial Jones fracture on his other foot. He will have another surgery to fix the foot. The Commanders are still determining when Newton will return to play for the Commanders.
Newton was an impressive defensive tackle prospect coming out of college. He recorded 18 sacks in his college career, 7.5 of which came for the 2023 season. For the 2023 season, he won the Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year, Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year and was named a Consensus All-American.
NFL fans’ initial reaction to the news
