The Washington Commanders' worst fears were confirmed, and they will be without their top-three wide receivers for a crucial Week 7 divisional battle against the Dallas Cowboys.
Noah Brown went to injured reserve. Terry McLaurin is missing his fourth-straight game despite optimism from head coach Dan Quinn earlier in the week. Deebo Samuel Sr., who toughed it out last time out versus the Chicago Bears but was clearly struggling, didn't travel to Dallas with a heel problem.
It's a blow; there is no getting away from that. The Commanders have three healthy wideouts on the active roster — Chris Moore, Luke McCaffrey, and fourth-round rookie Jaylin Lane. They also called up Robbie Chosen from the practice squad, and Quinn is confident that the fire still burns brightly within the veteran ahead of what could potentially be his final chance.
Commanders' coach Dan Quinn is confident Robbie Chosen has the hunger to take his chance
Quinn highlighted Chosen's hunger as a significant factor behind his shot in Washington. After getting a couple of weeks to pick up the scheme and find his football legs again, the Commanders are elevating him to make an impact versus a Dallas defense that is the league's worst for a reason.
"You can tell this is a hungry player. When he came for the workout, you could see an intensity about him. I want this shot. I want this moment., I want this chance, and I appreciate competitiveness like that. You have something to prove. It's right there; you're not on a team, so you want that badly, so I felt that his hunger index is high."
Dan Quinn
This is a downgrade on Samuel and McLaurin, of course. Even so, Chosen immediately becomes Washington's most productive wide receiver.
That is based on previous production, and it's been a long time since he went over 1,000 receiving yards for the Carolina Panthers in 2020. At the same time, the Commanders don't have much of a choice, especially after Treylon Burks signed too late in the week to realistically stand a chance of featuring.
Expecting miracles from Chosen is foolish. He might not even see the field much, in all honesty. But offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury would be wise to showcase his downfield threat and ability to make tough grabs over the middle when opportunities arise.
They should be plentiful upon further examination of Dallas' woeful defense. The Cowboys are also without All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs, who is out with a concussion after an accident at his home.
If, or when, Chosen's number is called, he must deliver. And he has Quinn's complete faith in pursuing this objective.