Austin Ekeler Achilles injury update: When will Commanders star return after going down vs Packers?

Austin Ekeler fantasy owners and Commanders fans received some bad news. The star running back suffered an Achilles injury and had to be carted off the field.

Austin Ekeler fantasy owners and Washington Commanders fans received some bad news on Thursday. The star running back suffered an Achilles injury and had to be carted off the field.

Austin Ekeler #30 of the Washington Commanders in action vs New York Giants(Getty Images via AFP)

“#Commanders starting RB Austin Ekeler, who was carted to the locker room with a non-contact injury, was ruled out with an Achilles injury. A potentially significant injury,” NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.

“Awful,” Adam Schefter wrote.

When will Austin Ekeler return?

While the severity of his injury has not been revealed yet, Achilles injuries, such as tears, typically require 9 to 12 months for full recovery, depending on rehabilitation. Initial immobilization with a cast or boot lasts 6-8 weeks, followed by physical therapy for 4-6 months to regain strength and mobility.

Athletes, like NFL players, may return to play around 9-12 months, with potential for earlier return (6-9 months) if rehab progresses well, though risks of re-injury linger.

What happened to Ekeler?

Ekeler suffered a torn Achilles injury and had to exit late in the fourth quarter after a non-contact cut on a route. The veteran, who had a strong Week 1 performance with 30.6 rushing yards and 30.5 receiving yards per game, was carted off.

Washington Commanders Depth Chart

Wide Receivers (WR)

Terry McLaurin (First)

Noah Brown (First)

Deebo Samuel (First)

Chris Moore (Second)

Luke McCaffrey (Second)

Jaylin Lane (Second)

Left Tackle (LT)

Laremy Tunsil (First)

Lucas Niang (Second)

Left Guard (LG)

Brandon Coleman (First)

Chris Paul (Second)

Center (C)

Tyler Biadasz (First)

Michael Deiter (Second)

Right Guard (RG)

Sam Cosmi (First)

Nick Allegretti (Second)

Right Tackle (RT)

Andrew Wylie (First)

Josh Conerly Jr. (Second)

Trent Scott (Third)

Tight Ends (TE)

Zach Ertz (First)

John Bates (First)

Ben Sinnott (Second)

Colson Yankoff (Second)

Quarterbacks (QB)

Jayden Daniels (First)

Marcus Mariota (Second)

Josh Johnson (Third)

Running Backs (RB)

Austin Ekeler (First)

Jeremy McNichols (Second)

Chris Rodriguez Jr. (Third)

Jacory Croskey-Merritt (Third)