The Washington Commanders looked to have struck gold in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft when they selected former Illinois defensive tackle Johnny Newton at No. 36 overall. CBS Sports gave the pick a “A+,” noting that Newton was the third defensive tackle taken following a possible fall that necessitated surgery. However, Newton now requires surgery again, this time on his left foot. As reported by NBC4 Sports on Saturday, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn informed reporters that Newton had the same injury (a Jones fracture) to his other foot and would have surgery the following week. Newton was spotted wearing a boot on his left foot on Friday.The foot on which the procedure was performed is genuinely healing,” Quinn stated, as reported by The Athletic. “However, he has a problem with the other foot. He will have a procedure done within the next week and resume the process. We have a lot of expectations for him because he is such a fierce competitor. Therefore, in certain cases, it is preferable to have a procedure done as soon as possible, rather than waiting until September or the end of August, which can cause delays. Therefore, the fact that it’s happening now, much better to get that organized first. I’m not providing any timelines for that. We’ll get right into him getting
The 2023 Consensus All-American defensive lineman’s having to deal with the same foot issue is a regrettable development. Newton finished with 52 total tackles and 7.5 sacks to win the 2023 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award. He and Moe Gardner shared the record for the most career sacks by a defensive tackle in Illinois history with 18. Along with having the second-highest number of pressures among FBS defensive tackles with 43 last season, Newton also had the seventh-most pressures in the FBS during the previous two seasons with 102.
It’s still May, as coach Quinn pointed out, so there’s no need to panic just yet over Newton’s future. However, the fact that he won’t be out on the
