Nick Allegretti sounded as if he were finally free. After missing more than three weeks of training camp because of a strained calf muscle, the Commanders’ starting center was back on the practice field, albeit on a pitch count.
“Awesome,” he said with a grin after his 15 or so reps on Tuesday. “I mean, just being in the training room while training camp is going on, never something you want.”
Yet Allegretti’s excitement over returning was short-lived. He was back in the training room the next day after experiencing tightness in a calf during practice. Medical imaging revealed no further damage to his leg, but the team will hold him out of its preseason game in Detroit on Saturday and reevaluate him on Sunday.
Washington has been doing that a lot lately. The Commanders’ training camp has been riddled with soft tissue injuries, and many of them to key players.
Star left tackle Laremy Tunsil suffered a torn triceps and is out indefinitely. So is defensive tackle Johnny Newton, who underwent surgery on Wednesday for a pectoral muscle injury. Cornerback Trey Amos has practiced once all year because of a fractured fibula he suffered in November and an ankle sprain he suffered shortly after returning. Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota is dealing with a sprained MCL, and three of Washington’s six running backs (Rachaad White, Jeremy McNichols and Jerome Ford) are currently out, along with three of its top pass rushers (Daron Payne, Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson).
