Washington Commanders linebacker Jamin Davis will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury he suffered during a loss to the Miami Dolphins.
Davis, a former first-round pick who was starting at outside linebacker, was cleared to return to the game, and finished it, but an MRI the next day revealed the need for surgery.
“The young man has done a great job for us, and we’re really excited about who he is becoming as a football player,” coach Ron Rivera said on Monday.
The linebacking unit benefitted from the return of starting middle linebacker Cody Barton from injury, which frees up Barton’s replacement, David Mayo, to slide into the position previously occupied by Davis.
Davis was initially drafted as a middle linebacker before being moved to the outside linebacker position, a position considered less valuable, where he has been a solid performer.
“He got the tough assignment of having to cover a lot of really good (running) backs,” Rivera said. “And he was competitive doing that. He really was. And the more he played, the better he seemed to get. Sure, he made some mistakes. But man, he was really coming along.”
There are only four games left in the season. Davis is under contract to return next year in Washington for the final year of his rookie contract.
As a rookie, the team can pick up a fifth-year option on his contract this offseason, but almost certainly will choose not to do so, as outside linebackers generally make a fraction of what the best middle linebackers make, meaning the option will not be cost-effective.
Rivera said he thought it was a big year for Davis in terms of his growth.
“I thought he took a really big step,” the coach said. “When Cody got back, and you started to watch the two of them playing together, you can really see him start to get comfortable at the wheel position.”
The Commanders’ defense has struggled over the past two games, allowing a combined 90 points to the Cowboys and Dolphins. They return to action after a bye week and travel to face the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
Rivera said other injured players, including cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr., running back Brian Robinson, and offensive lineman Saahdiq Charles, will be evaluated by team training staff when they return to practice on Tuesday.
The team traditionally doesn’t do an on-field practice on Tuesdays, but Rivera said this week they’ll have a “quick walkthrough” to get everybody back in the flow after a week off, before the regular Wednesday-Friday practice schedule resumes.
