Commanders Issue Crushing Injury Announcement Day Before NFC Championship Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Owen Crisafulli | Last updated Jan 25, 2025 4:05 PM ET

The Washington Commanders will take on the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game in less than 24 hours, with a trip to Super Bowl 59 on the line. A day before this big game, though, the team got dealt some crushing injury news regarding star defensive tackle Daron Payne.

The Commanders opened their postseason action with a thrilling last-second victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, before stunning the No. 1 seeded Detroit Lions in the divisional round. Now, they will battle an NFC East foe in the Eagles in an attempt to complete one of the most improbable runs to the Super Bowl of all time.

Of course, beating Philadelphia is going to be a lot easier said than done, especially after their latest injury update on Payne. The talented d-lineman didn't practice all week due to knee and finger injuries, and while Washington was holding out hope he'd be able to play, he ended up being ruled out for the game on Saturday afternoon.

"DT Daron Payne (knee/finger) has been downgraded to out," the Commanders announced in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

DT Daron Payne (knee/finger) has been downgraded to out https://t.co/Z3lgHgBwAY
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) January 25, 2025

Payne has been a pillar of consistency on the Commanders defensive line throughout his seven year career, and this will be only the second game in those seven seasons that he will miss. Given the stakes, it could not have possibly come at a worse time.

The 2024 campaign was another solid one for Payne, as he racked up 42 tackles and four sacks on the year. Those numbers are a far cry from what he did in 2022, when he had 64 tackles and 11.5 sacks to earn his first and only Pro Bowl selection, but Payne is still a key piece of the Commanders d-line who will be sorely missed.

With Payne out, fellow star defensive tackle Jonathan Allen will need to have a big game, with Sheldon Day and Jer'Zhan Newton filling in alongside him. Kickoff for this contest is set for Sunday, Jan. 26 at 3:30 p.m. EST, and you can bet Payne will be on the sidelines cheering his team on as they try to find their way to the Super Bowl.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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