Commanders’ Newton participates in team drills for first time 11 weeks after foot surgery

ASHBURN — Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton took his recovery from foot surgery one day at a time. The hard work paid off Tuesday as the rookie participated in team drills for the first time at training camp. 

Commanders general manager Adam Peters selected the Illinois product with his top pick in the second round of April’s NFL draft, even though Newton missed the scouting combine due to a right foot injury. A team physical after the draft found a complication in his left foot that ultimately required surgery and sidelined the rookie throughout the spring. 

“I was checking out the right foot to see if it was good and then got an X-ray on the left one, both feet at the same time. And I found out, it was like right before I got up here, but I never really felt anything,” Newton said. “I was kind of shocked, honestly. It kind of upset me.”

But the former All-American was undeterred by the setback. 

“My thought process was, just attack it like I attacked the first [foot injury],” the 21-year-old said. “Just get to it, get the recovery in so I could get back to work. Just taking things day by day.”

Throughout the recovery process, Newton said he received regular encouragement from within the organization. Peters and coach Dan Quinn would regularly check on the rookie’s progress, while his teammates kept him engaged in meetings. 

Veteran defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne took Newton under their wing. On Tuesday, the rookie referred to the pair as his “big brothers.”

“Whenever I mess up with something, they’ll tell me. Just the smallest things on the field, they always help me out, always encouraging me,” Newton said of Allen and Payne. “So, we know how good they are on the field, but outside of the field they’re big bros, honestly, and they have my back.”

The connection between rookies and veterans has been a theme at this year’s training camp. Quarterback Jayden Daniels, the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft, has worked closely with journeyman signal-caller Marcus Mariota. Rookie tight end Ben Sinnott is being mentored by Zach Ertz, a three-time Pro Bowler entering his 12th NFL season. 

“They’ve got some really good mentors,” Quinn said of his rookies. “You’re not going to see a lot of hazing and that kind of stuff. These are not pledges; they’re little brothers. They’re bringing them along to help us win. And that’s the only reason any of us are here.”

As a mentor, Allen became one of Newton’s biggest cheerleaders during his recovery.

“He’s definitely going to fit in really well,” Allen said when training camp opened last week. “He loves to work out, he loves to do the little things right, and he loves to work. And for me, once I see that, that’s all I need to see.”

Even as he rehabilitated his foot, the 295-pound lineman impressed players and coaches with his unique blend of gap-filling size, short-area agility and non-stop motor. 

“He has absolutely busted his ass to do everything that he can to get ready,” Quinn said last week when medical staff cleared Newton for individual drills.

“Dude likes to work hard. He’s about ball, that’s what I’ve noticed,” rookie offensive lineman Brandon Coleman said of Newton, comparing the new defender to Allen and Payne. “Those guys are relentless off the ball. He’s quick, relentless and the agility he has while being as big as he is is remarkable.”

Newton is still being eased into team activities, getting his first taste of NFL action during the 11-on-11 period of Tuesday’s practice. But the rookie’s work ethic jumped off the field.

While he worked with the other defensive linemen on Tuesday, Newton tackled a practice dummy so hard that he knocked out his own mouthpiece. 

“I’ve been watching since OTAs, minicamp, so it felt good to get back out there with the guys, family. They’ve been giving me great support,” Newton said after practice. “Everybody in the locker room, everybody in the building really. So, just to get out there and compete, it felt really good.”

Newton and the Commanders will continue training in Ashburn for a week before heading to Florham Park, New Jersey, for a joint practice with the Jets on Aug. 8 and a preseason game on Aug. 10.