The Washington Commanders' secondary could be getting a much-needed boost in the upcoming weeks.
Commanders (4-6) safety Darrick Forrest has been on the injured reserve since Week 6 with a shoulder injury. Washington head coach Ron Rivera commented on the safety's progress and how he's getting closer to returning to the field.
“Yeah, I was asked the other day about him," Rivera said. "He's coming along pretty well. It was a shoulder, and he's been getting his treatments. I actually talked with him the other day about it, and he started saying it's starting to feel really good. It's coming along, but there is no timeline. It was a substantial injury. [It] didn't require surgery or anything like that, but it's one of those that takes a little bit of time.”
Before suffering the shoulder injury, Forrest was starting to find his stride with three straight games with seven tackles. The third-year safety also saw an increase in playing time, as he played 99 percent of the defensive snaps compared to playing 81 percent of snaps on defense in 2022. Forrest had the best season of his young career in 2022, as he had 88 tackles and led the team with four interceptions. He also had nine passes defended, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
The defense has been a struggle throughout the season for Washington, as it has allowed the second most points per game (27.4). While it's unknown when Forrest will come back, having him for the stretch run will be pivotal when they face teams like the Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys twice down the stretch of the season.
Washington will look to get back in the win column on Sunday when it hosts the New York Giants (2-8) at FedEx Field at 1 p.m. ET.
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