Commanders Running Back to Visit Neck Specialist

The Washington Commanders will be without one of their most versatile offensive pieces for Week 9's matchup with the Minnesota Vikings and potentially longer. Head coach Ron Rivera revealed at his Friday press conference that running back J.D. McKissic will visit a specialist to evaluate the severity of his neck injury.

Ron Rivera said J.D. McKissic has already or will see a specialist for his neck and will approach his injury with caution.
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) November 4, 2022

The Commanders will proceed cautiously with McKissic, who could even be in line for a stint on injured reserve. The running back has totalled 52 snaps over the previous three weeks. Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson will likely see increased touches in his absence.

McKissic has been an effective runner and receiver out of the backfield over 35 games with the Commanders, amassing 672 rushing yards and 1159 receiving yards for the team over the past three seasons. He had his best season in 2020, totalling 954 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns for the NFC East champion Commanders.

McKissic entered the league as an undrafted free agent following the 2016 NFL Draft. He initially latched on with the Seattle Seahawks, emerging as a reliable receiver at the running back position in 2017. He tallied 515 receiving yards with the Seahawks and the Detroit Lions from 2016 to 2019.