The Washington Commanders may be getting some help back on their defense soon, with Jonathan Allen making a surprising return, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

“Reinforcements coming: The Commanders are opening the 21-day practice window for standout DL Jonathan Allen, per me and. Allen suffered a significant pectoral injury in Week 6 but, amazingly, is expected back to help down the stretch,” Pelissero wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Allen will have to be activated by the end of the 21-day window in order to return in the regular season or playoffs. The last time he was on the field was in Week 6 when he suffered was announced as a season-ending pectoral injury. It would be a stretch to say that Allen would return in Week 16 against the Philadelphia Eagles, so the last game of the season against the Dallas Cowboys may be more realistic.

Commanders trying to make the playoffs

Related Washington Commanders NewsArticle continues below
Jayden Daniels, Commanders
Full Commanders game-by-game predictions after 2025 NFL schedule release
Trey Hendrickson, Bengals
Commanders 2 best trade targets to round out 2025 roster
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) shake hands after an Eagles victory at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Eagles-Commanders schedule quirk that could have big consequences

With the Philadelphia Eagles in the driver's seat of the NFC East, the only realistic choice for the Commanders to make the playoffs is getting in the wild card. If they're able to win out, there's a good chance that they'll get a spot, but there are some important games for them to take care of.

One of them will be against the Atlanta Falcons, another team looking to get into the playoffs by either winning their division or getting a wild card spot. The Commanders have had an exciting season with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels in control of the offense, and it would probably give them even more confidence if they were able to get into the playoffs.

The defense hasn't been the best this season, but hopefully, the play of Marshon Lattimore and the possible return of Jonathan Allen can help them get to the level they need to make a playoff run.