Washington linebacker Leo Chenal was carted off in the second quarter of Sunday's 33-31 win over Seattle with a neck injury and did not return. The Commanders' live game report recorded medical personnel attending to him before the cart came onto the field. An Associated Press report said the injury occurred with 6:38 left in the half on an Emanuel Wilson run. Washington subsequently ruled Chenal out for the remainder of the game, according to Yahoo Sports' game report. No diagnosis beyond the team's neck designation or return timetable has been established.
The injury adds pressure to a linebacker group that had already changed for Week 3. Frankie Luvu was ruled out with a groin injury before kickoff. Washington's Friday game-status report said rookie Sonny Styles and Chenal had taken on more responsibility in Luvu's absence. Styles wore the defensive play-calling green dot the previous week. The club's unofficial depth chart listed Chenal behind Styles and Kain Medrano behind Luvu; those labels do not establish how Washington will distribute snaps if either injured linebacker remains unavailable.
Medrano made the game's biggest defensive play, returning a Sam Darnold interception 50 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown. That play helped Washington build the lead it held through Seattle's late response, but it is not evidence of a settled replacement plan at linebacker. Coaches have not announced one.
