The Washington Commanders suffered a significant blow to its depth at tight end. Second-year tight end Armani Rogers tore his Achilles during OTA practices on Tuesday, an MRI confirmed, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Commanders head coach Ron Rivera revealed Rogers suffered the non-contact injury while running in practice.
“It’s unfortunate,” Rivera said, per John Keim of ESPN. “The young man progressed well for us last year. We feel confident in the group of tight ends.”
Armani Rogers was a quarterback in college at UNLV and Ohio. However, he converted to tight end before the East-West Shrine Bowl in 2022. He signed with the Commanders as an undrafted free agent.
Rogers had a standout preseason making the 53-man roster. He appeared in 11 games, starting three. Rogers had five catches for 64 yards. Meanwhile, he added 26 rushing yards on two carries.
Rivera says the team is confident in its group of tight ends, but there is still reason to be concerned with an injury for a player with potential such as Rogers.
Uncertainty remains at tight end for Commanders
The Commanders enter this offseason without a standout guy at tight end. Instead, they’ll lean on depth at the position. Logan Thomas is the most experienced player in the group. Thomas is also a converted tight end after playing quarterback in college and early in his NFL career.
Thomas is still searching to return to his 2020 form in which he had 72 catches and six receiving touchdowns. He had an injury-riddled 2021 campaign that limited him to six games, concluding with a torn ACL. Last season Thomas led the position with 39 receptions, but his movement wasn’t the same as before the injury.
Washington has John Bates, Cole Turner, and Curtis Hodges. Bates, a fourth-round draft pick in 2021, had 14 receptions and a touchdown last season. But he is more of a blocking tight end than a pass catcher at this point of his career.
Turner, the 2022 fifth-round draft pick, has shown to be more on the same cloth as Bates. Turner will look to break out after a disappointing rookie season. He had two receptions for 22 yards in 10 games, as a hamstring injury hampered him.
Hodges was an undrafted free agent signing last season, like Rogers. Hodges flashed in the preseason but suffered a season-ending thigh injury before the start of the regular season.
The uncertainty at the position makes Rogers’ injury significant. Rogers is new to tight end but flashed his potential whenever he touched the ball. His speed, quickness, and ability to catch the football made him arguably the most intriguing Commanders’ tight end.
There is versatility across the Commanders’ tight end room. Yet, no one has stood out at the position since Thomas’ breakout year in 2020. Losing anyone puts a dent in the depth and production overall at tight end.
