Washington Commanders wide receiver Robbie Chosen Ian Maule/GettyImages

Commanders quietly readying overlooked veteran amid wide receiver crisis

Originally posted on Riggo's Rag | By Dean Jones | Last updated Oct 17, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The Washington Commanders are anxiously awaiting the progress of their injured wide receivers. This is far from ideal before a pivotal trip to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 7, so having contingency plans for every eventuality is crucial.

Washington finally gave up on wide receiver Noah Brown, placing him on injured reserve. He'd been out since Week 2, but the Commanders were not suitably satisfied with his progress.

Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel Sr. were both absent from the media portion of practice on Thursday. The former has missed the last three games, and his status this weekend remains unclear. The latter was touch-and-go right until kickoff in Week 6. Although he suited up, the contribution fell short of his usual standards.

Commanders were quietly readying Robbie Chosen for potential Week 7 involvement

This leaves the Commanders with three healthy wide receivers on the active roster and five on the practice squad after the latest addition of Treylon Burks. Calling up one or two seems likely, and there was a subtle clue about who that might be.

Commanders WR group at practice today. Does not include Deebo or Terry. Problematic pic.twitter.com/DkGSCiyX7R
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) October 16, 2025

Wide receivers coach Bobby Engram was spotted working closely with Robbie Chosen on his route-running. This was individual work between the two while others were focusing on special teams. It might be nothing, but this would be a good time to throw the former Temple star into the fire and see how he fares.

The Commanders cannot call up Tay Martin again unless they add him to the 53-man roster. Ja'Corey Brooks was active last weekend but barely featured. Jacoby Jones is an undrafted rookie with no NFL game-day experience. Burks will need time to get up to speed. Chosen is the other, and he is by far the most accomplished in terms of previous production.

WR Robbie Chosen got in a little 1-1 time with WR Coach Bobby Engram during the special teams portion of practice. pic.twitter.com/56zBBJZ9UU
— John Keim (@john_keim) October 16, 2025

Chosen looked like a star when he went over 1,000 receiving yards for the Carolina Panthers in 2020. Things ended bitterly in Charlotte, and he was traded to the Arizona Cardinals after a bust-up with interim head coach Steve Wilks. He's since spent time with the Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers without fully catching on.

This is not ideal. The Cowboys' defense is a dumpster fire. Even so, if the Commanders are severely under strength on offense, that's going to complicate matters.

Chosen could feature, but expecting miracles would be foolish. He can provide a downfield threat and potentially work underneath. However, it's a journey into the unknown.

In an ideal world, McLaurin and Samuel will get the green light. But the realistic scenario suggests that one or both will be out. That's where Chosen comes in, and he must seize the moment with both hands.

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

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