Despite some early optimism, additional testing confirmed that Washington Football Team tight end Logan Thomas has in fact torn his ACL (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Thomas, already ruled out for the year after his second trip to the injured reserve list, will undergo surgery this week and begin his march back to the field for 2022.

Thomas suffered the injury back on December 5th against the Raiders. The early word was a torn ACL, but, the following day, head coach Ron Rivera told reporters that the damage might not have been as extensive. Unfortunately, Washington had no choice but to shelve Thomas for the rest of the year.

The WFT came up short against the Cowboys on Sunday, dropping them to 6-7 on the year. On the plus side, they still have a path to the playoffs in the NFC. Two of their next three games are against the Eagles (with a Cowboys rematch in between), giving them a prime opportunity to gain ground in the Wild Card chase.

Thomas, meanwhile, will focus on rehab and a return to his old form. Last year, he broke out in a big way with 72 catches for 670 yards and six touchdowns. This year, thanks to multiple injuries, he was held to just 18 grabs, 196 yards, and three touchdowns.

Logan Thomas‘ knee injury might not be so bad after all. “The MRI results came back [and] were better than we anticipated,” head coach Ron Rivera told reporters during his Monday afternoon press conference (Twitter link). 

“Obviously, there is some damage there,” Rivera continued. “It’s not as extensive as first thought. So, we’re sending for a few more tests just to make sure and we’ll go from there. So we’re still waiting on a little be more of an evaluation, but it is a little bit more positive than first anticipated.”

That’s a big step up from what we heard on Sunday — Thomas was initially believed to have suffered a torn ACL. A partial tear of a less critical ligament, like an MCL, could allow Thomas to return later this year.

The Washington Football Team advanced to 6-6 on the year with yesterday’s win over the Raiders. They now have a 51% chance of making the playoffs, according to Five Thirty Eight. If they keep trending in the right direction, Thomas could come back in time for the final stretch. On the flip side, if Washington slips in the coming weeks, they’ll probably shelve him the rest of the way.

In his six games this year, Thomas has 18 receptions for 196 yards and three touchdowns. No matter the outcome of his remaining tests, it’s safe to say that he’ll be held out of this week’s contest against the Cowboys.

The Washington Football Team believes that Logan Thomas has suffered a torn ACL (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Further testing will likely confirm the news, shutting the tight end down for the rest of the year. 

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It’s been a trying year for Thomas, who just returned from a hamstring injury last week. In his six of 12 possible games this season, Thomas has caught 18 passes for 196 yards and three touchdowns. That’s hardly the encore he expected after his career year in 2020 — 72 receptions for 670 yards and six touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Washington is still without No. 2 TE Ricky Seals-Jones. Seals-Jones saw the bulk of Washington’s TE targets after Thomas’ hammy injury, tallying 23 grabs for 230 yards and two scores across nine games. However, he’s been out since Week 10 thanks to a lingering hip issue. That leaves WFT with Sammis Reyes and fourth-round pick John Bates as their only healthy options.

In addition to the ACL, Thomas “likely” tore his MCL as well, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). That could further complicate Thomas’ rehab and prevent him from joining the team for early offseason workouts.

Logan Thomas is just about ready to retake the field. The Washington Football Team plans to designate Thomas for return this week by opening his 21-day practice window, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). 

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Thomas has been on the injured reserve list with a hamstring injury since October 6. While it’s not yet official, his doctors are expected to clear him for football activities in the coming days. In theory, Thomas could be activated for Monday night, when WFT hosts the Seahawks in D.C. However, they’ll want to monitor his progress for a bit, so a December return seems more likely.

The former quarterback enjoyed a career year in 2020 with 72 receptions for 670 yards and six touchdowns. His catch total was good for third among all tight ends in the NFL while his yardage slotted him seventh at the position. Through his four games this year, he tallied 12 catches for 117 yards and two scores.

In his stead, Washington has turned to veteran Ricky Seals-Jones with support from Sammis Reyes, fourth-round pick John Bates, and practice squad call-up Temarrick Hemingway. Seals-Jones has gotten the bulk of Washington’s TE targets, tallying 23 grabs for 230 yards and two scores across nine games.

In other WFT news, standout defensive end Chase Young has been formally placed on injured reserve with a torn ACL.