Commanders send Cosmi to IR, sign Driskel for QB depth

The Commanders’ injury woes continued Monday. The franchise placed guard Sam Cosmi on season-ending injured reserve after he was evaluated for a concussion during Saturday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. 

The 2021 second-round pick missed Washington’s first six games as he recovered from an ACL injury suffered during last year’s playoff run. 

“You knew it was coming for him to take these steps forward, coming back off the knee. Over the last few weeks, you felt that even more,” Commanders coach Dan Quinn said Monday. “So disappointed.”

Last week, the Commanders named Cosmi as their Ed Block Courage Award winner for a player who overcame adversity. 

“You’re not going to know exactly what it’s like unless you really go through it. I didn’t know; I mean, you only see it,” the right guard told reporters last week. “There’s so much work that goes into that that it’s unseen, so much pain and suffering.”

The Texas product said he couldn’t sleep for the first month after tearing his ACL. On Saturday, he was seen wincing and grimacing in the post-game locker room following his concussion evaluation. 

“It really is a mindset. If you have an ounce of doubt, that can really derail you from coming back sooner or coming back at all,” Cosmi said. “You just can’t let that doubt sink in. If you’re able to stay strong and stay positive in those dark times, you’ll be able to climb out of that hole.”

Cosmi rejoined the Commanders’ ever-growing injury list. Fellow offensive linemen Laremy Tunsil and Brandon Coleman are day-to-day and could miss Thursday’s Christmas Day matchup against the rival Dallas Cowboys. 

Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, who has started in place of the injured Jayden Daniels, is also day-to-day. Mariota received stitches in his throwing hand and is still recovering from a quad issue, Quinn said. 

Washington signed quarterback Jeff Driskel from the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad to take Cosmi’s spot on the active roster. Driskel spent the 2024 season in Washington and could back up starting signal-caller Josh Johnson on Thursday if Mariota is unavailable.