Eagles enter Week 1 nearly injury-free while the Commanders’ medical tent looks like a MASH unit

The Eagles are heading into their Week 1 matchup with the Commanders about as healthy as a team can be in September. Washington, on the other hand, looks like it just came out of a car accident.

Let’s start with the good news.

The Eagles’ injury report barely exists

Jonathan Greenard is practicing again after missing all of training camp with a pectoral injury, logging back-to-back limited sessions Wednesday and Thursday. He told reporters Thursday he’s not sure if he’ll play and he’s not 100 percent, which means the Eagles have a decision to make. Given how the Landon Dickerson situation played out last season, the smart move is holding Greenard out until he’s actually ready instead of rushing him back for a Week 1 tune-up.

The Eagles don’t need to rush him anyway. Jalyx Hunt had a strong camp and Nolan Smith finished the summer on a high note, so Vic Fangio has options at the position even if Greenard eases in slowly.

The only other name on the Eagles’ injury report is Eli Stowers, still dealing with a hamstring issue. He’s likely inactive Sunday even if he’s cleared, which tells you the Eagles aren’t worried about him either.

That’s it. Two names. Nobody on IR. Nobody on PUP. Nobody suspended. The Eagles are basically starting the season at full strength while the building down in Ashburn is filling out paperwork.

Washington’s injury list reads like a casualty report

The Commanders are missing their best offensive lineman, their top cornerback, and one of their best edge rushers before the ball is even kicked off.

Left tackle Laremy Tunsil tore his triceps in camp and landed on injured reserve. He’s arguably the best player on Washington’s roster, and there’s no clean replacement. Brandon Coleman is sliding over from a guard competition to start at left tackle, and Chris Paul, who lost that same guard battle to Coleman, now starts at left guard by default. One injury, two downgrades.

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Cornerback Trey Amos is out too. He fractured his fibula last season, opened camp on PUP, got activated in August, then immediately hurt his ankle and landed back on IR. He’ll miss at least the first four games, which pushes Mike Sainristil, Amik Robertson, and Rasul Douglas into the starting corner spots.

Edge rusher Dorance Armstrong won’t play Sunday either, but not because of an injury. He’s suspended for Week 1 stemming from a 2025 arrest on misdemeanor assault and resisting arrest charges. Before a torn ACL ended his season last year, Armstrong had 5.5 sacks in seven games and a real case as Washington’s best edge defender. That’s a significant name to be without.

Add interior lineman Jer’Zhan Newton (torn pectoral, IR), edge rusher Deatrich Wise (still on PUP after last year’s quad injury), and running back Jeremy McNichols (quad strain, IR) to the pile, and Washington is shorthanded across three levels of the roster.

That’s before the questionable guys. Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson were both limited all week with lower-body injuries. Jacory Croskey-Merritt is banged up too, and honestly the Eagles might prefer he plays. He’s a bigger problem in the run game than his third-down replacement, Rachaad White, is through the air. Center Nick Allegretti, who moved over from guard after Washington cut Tyler Biadasz, is just now getting back to full health after hurting his calf on day one of camp. Interior linemen Daron Payne and Javon Kinlaw both popped up on the report Thursday, with no word yet on how serious either one is.

Eagles get a favor before the game even starts

This isn’t complicated. The Eagles show up close to full strength. Washington shows up without its left tackle, without its top corner, without one of its best pass rushers, and with a handful of question marks still working through the week.

Injury reports don’t win football games by themselves. But this one is lopsided enough to point out before kickoff.

Instead of squinting at a Commanders injury report trying to find hope, go watch the Eagles beat someone up in person.

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