The Washington Commanders are coming off a convincing win in Week 1 against one of their division rivals, the New York Giants. The defense looked outstanding, and the offense found its groove at certain points, but the special teams struggled.
With the Commanders set to play against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football, they needed to figure out their special-teams issues very quickly this week.
The Commanders were dealt bad news, though, as two-time Pro Bowl punter Tress Way has a back injury.
Injury Update on Tress Way
Way is dealing with a back injury that left him questionable for tonight’s game against the Packers. He’ll give it a go before the game to test whether he can suit up for Washington.
Although his status looks bleaked, and Washington had a punter at the ready, Way surprisngly was healthy enough to play the game.
The Commanders, however, didn’t take any chances. Prior to the game, they elevated six-year veteran punter Mitch Wishnowsky from the practice squad, who ultimately ended up being inactive.
We have elevated C Michael Deiter and P Mitch Wishnowsky from the practice squad pic.twitter.com/530PGGNXNr
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) September 11, 2025
Way has been the epitome of reliability for the Commanders throughout his career. In his 12-year NFL career, he has never missed a game due to injury, only missing one game for COVID-19 in 2021.
That streak was in serious jeopardy tonight, but he managed to keep it alive. While the streak was important to Way, the Commanders needed a healthy punter, and it looked like the Pro Bowler was ready to play.
Wishnowsky was a considerably experienced replacement. He spent the last six seasons as the punter for the San Francisco 49ers, appearing in 92 games. His elevation doesn’t look very good for Way’s chances of playing, as it seems highly unlikely Washington would elevate Wishnowsky without having justifiable doubts about Way’s status.
The Commanders special teams finished dead last, 32nd, in PFSN’s STi metric. They took home a grade of 53.3, or an F. The metric mainly takes into account the two main aspects of special teams, those being punt coverage and field-goal production, with smaller emphasis on kickoffs.
Washington needs to change in this phase of the game. Given the caliber of opponent and the tough road environment, the Commanders cannot afford to give the Packers extra advantages via special teams. Minimizing short fields and pinning the Packers deep will be pivotal. Games can be won and lost through special teams, making great plays or blunders, and good teams will punish others for poor special-teams play.
The Packers and Commanders are preparing for what should be a tightly contested battle tonight. With plenty of star power on the field, including Micah Parsons, Jayden Daniels, Terry McLaurin, and Jordan Love, the game is very fitting for a primetime stage.
