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Commanders TE Thomas Injury Update: Play Week 1?

Originally posted on FanNation Washington Football
By David Harrison | Last updated 8/31/23

The Washington Commanders have had their fair share of bad luck when it comes to tight end injuries.

Predating the arrival of Commanders coach Ron Rivera and long before any name change news was in regular discussion, the franchise has struggled to staff and maintain healthy players within that specific group.

Because of that history, Washington fans were understandably angst-filled when Logan Thomas was held out of training camp practices and preseason games.

According to Thomas himself, however, there may be reason to lower the stress levels associated with his availability in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals.

"I feel good, I feel much better," Thomas said in his first locker room availability of the year. "I appreciate the time that they gave me to get to the point I need to be at right now and I'm just excited for what next week holds and getting this thing started off."

There are a handful of practices between now and the Commanders' regular-season opener against the Arizona Cardinals, but Thomas sounds confident he'll be on the field to help his new starting quarterback Sam Howell get that all-important first win of the year.

While the veteran leader feels confident his injury is progressing the right way - and even went as far as to say that if this had already been regular season he wouldn't have missed as much time - he is admittedly looking to play catch-up in the process of getting in sync with Howell.

"That's one of those things that I wish I would've had," Thomas said when asked about time with his new quarterback. "I got two weeks with him I wish I would've had the full four. But we can play catch-up, we can work afterward, work before, and get all that done."

Thomas last played 16 games in a single season in 2020 when he helped Washington win the NFC's East Division.

The division was much different then and didn't have a defending NFC Champion residing within it, but the truth still remains that the Commanders' best chances of winning it again exist with Thomas on the field and out of the training room.

If his words this week are any indication, they'll likely have him out there playing against Arizona in less than two weeks.