Washington Commanders defensive end Drake Jackson Joe Sargent/GettyImages

Commanders' newcomer already reliving a brutal story fans know too well

Originally posted on Riggo's Rag | By Dean Jones | Last updated Oct 16, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The Washington Commanders' pass-rush is going through some issues. They are struggling to generate pressure consistently, and head coach Dan Quinn is also trying to navigate some injury problems to key personnel for good measure.

Washington has missed the presence of run-stopping defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. after he went to season-ending injured reserve after just two games. Emerging edge threat Javontae Jean-Baptiste is also on the shelf with a long-term complication. If that wasn't bad enough, breakout star Dorance Armstrong Jr. is nursing a hamstring problem that could keep him out in Week 7 against the Dallas Cowboys.

This is a problem. Most fans thought Adam Peters made progress in addressing this with the signing of defensive end Drake Jackson following a successful visit. But it didn't take long for this bubble to burst.

Commanders fans won't see new signing Drake Jackson on the field for a while

The day after Washington officially confirmed the signing of Jackson, he was placed on injured reserve. That means he'll be out for the next four games, and with the bye week soon after that, it'll be a stuttering start to his journey with the Commanders.

Although fans were dismayed by the development, Adam Schefter from ESPN revealed that this was always part of the plan. That's reassuring, but it also doesn't help the Commanders right now, either.

Commanders are placing newly-signed edge Drake Jackson on injured reserve. This was their plan; teams cannot put a player on IR the same day they sign them. They believe it’s worthwhile to stash a player with upside.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 16, 2025

Jackson has missed a lot of football over the last two-and-a-half years. Expecting him to come in and immediately make a lasting impression was foolish. Building him back up gradually is the correct path. Whether anything comes from his arrival after that remains to be seen.

This doesn't alleviate the concerns surrounding Washington's pass-rushing options, particularly if Armstrong is forced to miss time. Peters seems to have exhausted all his avenues in the trade market, although nothing should be dismissed entirely. Free-agent options are also thin on the ground, so the general manager might be forced to move forward with what he has and hope it's enough.

Jackson had immense potential coming out of college. It's been a luckless run on the health front after an encouraging rookie year, but this development is proof that there is a long way to go before he gets into genuine football shape.

The Commanders will support him every step of the way. But until there is 100 percent confidence in his conditioning, knowledge of the scheme, and his scope to not become a weak link, it's hard to envisage a scenario where he features.

If that scenario comes to fruition, it'll be back to the drawing board.

This article first appeared on Riggo's Rag and was syndicated with permission.

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