After a Week 1 NFL win over the New York Giants, the Washington Commanders rode high into their Week 2 Thursday Night Football game against the Green Bay Packers. However, their fortunes were turned upside down as the Packers dominated them on both sides.
With the Commanders’ offense already struggling to muster up much of anything, they just took another hit with wide receiver Noah Brown being ruled out.
What Happened to WR Noah Brown?
According to ESPN’s Commanders reporter John Keim, Brown was ruled out in the fourth quarter with a groin injury. The injury didn’t appear to be visible on any specific play, so the team’s quick and official announcement through social media is surprising.
WR Noah Brown (groin) has been ruled out.
— John Keim (@john_keim) September 12, 2025
Brown had a quiet night against Green Bay, reeling in one of his four targets for nine yards. He caught a pair of passes in the Commanders’ Week 1 win over the New York Giants for 27 yards. However, with the addition of Deebo Samuel in the offseason through a trade with the San Francisco 49ers, Brown moved down a slot on Washington’s depth chart.
Now, depending on the severity of the injury, his snaps will go to Luke McCaffrey and rookie Jaylin Lane, who can gain ground and push him further down the depth chart. Outside of an incredible Hail Mary touchdown snag against the Chicago Bears in Week 8 of the 2024 season, Brown has been a relatively quiet presence in the Commanders’ passing attack.
Combined with the injury to running back Austin Ekeler, Washington will be looking for players to step up and fill the void left by injuries to players who were counted as solid contributors to the offense.
However, outside of some garbage-time drives, quarterback Jayden Daniels and the Commanders had no answers for the Packers’ stifling defense. Between Micah Parsons’ recent addition and the pieces they’ve amassed over the past few seasons, Green Bay has built quite the defensive unit.
The Commanders cruised to a comfortable win in Week 1, but their offseason additions, despite making an NFC Championship game appearance last year, weren’t enough to overcome a dominant NFC force like the Packers. Fans will wait to see how severe Brown’s groin injury is in the coming days, as the front office could be turning to free agency to address multiple injuries on the offense after their Week 2 Thursday Night Football loss.