The Washington Commanders made a quarterback change this week as head coach Ron Rivera has opted to start veteran Jacoby Brissett in place of Sam Howell. While that might be the plan, the injury bug might have something to say about that. Brissett is officially listed as questionable for Sunday's tilt against San Francisco due to a hamstring injury he suffered during the week.
Of course, this injury throws a bit of a wrench into the Commanders' plan for Week 17 and if Brissett isn't able to play they'd -- rather awkwardly -- have to turn back to Howell for the matchup.
"He took reps today and looked pretty good moving around," Rivera told reporters of Brissett on Friday.
Hamstring injuries can be rather tricky as Brissett could feel good on Friday, but have a flare-up over the next 48 hours -- or even in the game -- that could thrust Howell back in under center. With that in mind, his status is worth monitoring leading up to Sunday and is likely a true game-time decision. Fortunately for Brissett and the Commanders, this game is at FedEx Field, so a cross-country flight to Santa Clara is not a variable they have to worry about this time around.
If Brissett plays, he's looking at his first start of the 2023 season in Week 17. Despite signing him last offseason, the team initially decided to enter the year with Howell -- who was entering his second year in the league -- as its starter. while Brissett remained a valuable backup option. For most of the season, Howell had played well enough to keep his job status intact, but the floor had fallen out from under him in recent weeks, opening the door for Brissett. The veteran has replaced Howell in each of the last two games and the offense was noticeably better with him under center, which made Rivera's decision to name him the starter going forward clear.
Brissett has started 48 regular season games in his career and, if he gets the green light from the Commanders medical staff, he'll add another to his total. But it doesn't appear to be a sure thing with this latest hamstring injury.
