Commanders rookie WR nominated for first prestigious NFL honor

The Washington Commanders got back on track last week after suffering their first loss in Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers, returning home and dismantling the Las Vegas Raiders 41-24 behind strong offensive output and special teams play.

Washington was able to blow out the Geno Smith led Raiders on the shoulders of backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, who started in place of injured Jayden Daniels, and a strong running game that put up over 200 yards on the ground.

But perhaps the biggest play came from the least expected player, rookie wideout Jaylin Lane. Lane received a punt from the Raiders at his own 10-yard line before proceeding to find a hole and taking the punt 90 yards to the house for a touchdown to put the Commanders up 27-10 early in the third quarter.

Lane didn’t do anything outside of that on the day, but that play alone was good enough to earn him a nomination as the Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week.

Lane’s highlight play could very likely earn him the honor of being named Rookie of the Week in Week 3, but the team will hope to get more out of him as the season progresses.

Lane, a 2025 fourth round draft pick out of VIrginia Tech, has yet to make a real impact at wide receiver for the Commanders despite the wide receiver room not being all that deep.

The Commanders have relied heavily on their starters Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, and Noah Brown early in the season, so they would love if Lane and Luke McCaffrey would emerge throughout the rest of the year to take some of the pressure off the aforementioned starters.

Through three games in the NFL, Lane has only managed three receptions on eight targets for 11 yards and no scores. Lane’s next chance to show what he can bring to the table for the Commanders comes Sunday when they take on the Atlanta Falcons.

READ MORE: This position’s depth tested for Commanders in Week 3

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