The Washington Commanders hoped to head into the offseason after Sunday’s win over the Dallas Cowboys with no major injuries. The Commanders placed several players on injured reserve or sat others dealing with an injury ahead of Sunday, giving multiple young players some extended playing time.
One of those young players was rookie defensive tackle John Ridgeway. The 6-foot-5, 322-pound rookie from Arkansas was a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft by the Cowboys, who later released him, hoping to sneak him to the practice squad, but the Commander wisely claimed him and his rookie contract.
Ridgeway would prove to be a shrewd acquisition, appearing in 15 games for the Commanders, making four starts. He replaced Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jonathan Allen in the lineup Sunday and was off to a dominant start.
In 13 snaps, Ridgeway made five tackles. He was manhandling Dallas’ interior offensive line. Unfortunately, Ridgeway wasn’t able to finish the game, leaving in the second quarter.
On Monday, John Keim of ESPN revealed the bad news. Ridgeway suffered a torn pectoral muscle and now faces several months of rehabilitation.
DT John Ridgeway tore a pectoral muscle Sunday, per source. Will need a few months of rehab in the offseason.
— John Keim (@john_keim) January 9, 2023
The good news is Ridgeway should be ready for training camp in July.
To give you an indication of how dominant Ridgeway was on Sunday, watch No. 91 in these clips.
Cowboys were held to 10 yards on seven first-down carries (1.4 average) Sunday behind their starting offensive line. C Tyler Biadasz’s expected return for playoffs will help, but run game hasn’t been same in four games without Terence Steele (ACL). https://t.co/8FHK5IMJuP pic.twitter.com/j3Oa77HKGX
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) January 9, 2023
The Commanders found a gem in Ridgeway.