When the Washington Commanders selected tight end Cole Turner in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL draft, head coach Ron Rivera couldn’t contain his excitement. Rivera gushed over Turner multiple times after the draft and in the offseason.
When training camp began and starting tight end Logan Thomas was on the PUP list, an opportunity emerged for the rookie. When Thomas’ backup, John Bates, also battled an injury, Turner was Washington’s top tight end at times this summer. He took advantage of those opportunities, earning praise from his coaches and teammates.
Unfortunately for Turner, he injured his hamstring in the second week of camp and missed all of the preseason. That opened the door for undrafted rookie Armani Rogers, who also impressed.
In the first four weeks of the season, the Commanders kept three tight ends active: Thomas, Bates and Rogers.
Thomas appeared on the injury report Friday with a calf injury and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. That means Turner will make his NFL debut Sunday, according to Rivera.
While one would presume Turner will be active as an insurance policy, Rivera insisted that’s not the case. Wide receiver Jahan Dotson is out for the game, so the Commanders will use more big sets with multiple tight ends, meaning Turner gets a shot.
Ron Rivera said TE Cole Turner will be active Sunday. Even if Logan Thomas plays, they would have Turner active with WR Jahan Dotson (hamstring) out. Hello, 3 TE sets with possible mismatches.
— John Keim (@john_keim) October 7, 2022
If Thomas plays, Washington can run multiple sets with at least two tight ends. The Commanders could also use three tight ends, which serves multiple purposes to help a struggling and injured offensive line. Also, quarterback Carson Wentz loves throwing to tight ends.
