Rivera offers positive injury update on Collins, Sweat originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The Washington Football Team is riding high on a four-game winning streak. To make things even better for the club, defensive reinforcements are coming, too.
Head coach Ron Rivera said on Monday that pass rusher Montez Sweat should be able to return to practice on Wednesday. Sweat has missed the team’s last four games with a fractured jaw he sustained in Washington’s Halloween loss to Denver.
“My understanding is, as far as Montez is concerned, we’re waiting on the ‘OK.’ Once we get the ‘OK,’ he should be out there on Wednesday,” Rivera said.
Sweat was placed on Injured Reserve following his injury, so Washington must open his practice window before he takes the field. Once that window is opened, the club has 21 days to add Sweat back to its active roster.
Sweat is not the only key starter that should return to the practice field Wednesday, as Rivera expressed optimism that Landon Collins will be able to participate as well.
“Landon came in, got treatment and looked actually pretty good. I know the doctors are going to take another look at him,” Rivera said. “We’re going to continue to monitor that for the next couple of the days. But I am anticipating, got my fingers crossed that he is cleared for Wednesday’s practice.”
Collins, who played arguably his best game in a Washington uniform last Monday against Seattle, was sidelined this past Sunday against the Raiders with a foot injury. Prior to his injury, Collins had been playing some of the best football of his Washington tenure over the team’s winning streak, with him moving from his natural safety spot to the Buffalo nickel position being a major reason why.
The anticipated return of Collins and Sweat was not even the biggest injury news of the day for Washington, as Rivera said tight end Logan Thomas might have avoided an ACL tear in his left knee. Rivera said the team must conduct more tests on Thomas’ knee to find out the severity of the injury.
Thomas injured his knee in the fourth quarter of Washington’s win on Sunday after taking a direct hit to it from Raiders pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue, a play Rivera described as “avoidable” and “unfortunate.”