Commanders' Super Bowl Surge Threatened by Injury Time‑Bombs

The Washington Commanders and the rest of the NFL have to deal with the unfortunate reality of injuries.

The Commanders were lucky last year when it came to injuries as one of the healthiest teams in the league, but this offseason saw them acquire Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil, two key players who have been plagued by injuries in the past.

CBS Sports writer Cody Benjamin believes that is the biggest red flag for Washington en route to a Super Bowl title.

Houston Texans offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil warms up during pregame during pregame against the New Orleans Saints. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Commanders could fall victim to injury

"The Commanders are one of the NFL's most popular contenders thanks to Jayden Daniels' magical 2024 debut," Benjamin wrote.

"And general manager Adam Peters understandably wasted no time upgrading Daniels' supporting cast by swinging trades for Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil this offseason. The only issue is both Samuel and Tunsil, who will play vital roles in aiding and protecting Daniels, have missed extensive time due to injury in the last few years. Veteran defensive addition Javon Kinlaw falls in the same boat. Conditioning could be key in D.C."

Injuries could be the biggest enemy for the Commanders this season. If they stay healthy, they might be back in the Super Bowl conversation. If not, a trip to the playoffs might be in jeopardy.

The same could be said to any team, but for a squad that was lucky to be as healthy as it was a year ago, there has to be an assumption that the statistic will regress to the mean.

The Commanders report to training camp with rookies coming in on July 18 and veterans on July 22.