John Bates’ Injury Opens the Door for Ben Sinnott at Commanders Camp

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn announced Saturday that tight end John Bates strained his hamstring in Thursday’s practice and will miss multiple weeks. While injuries are never good, Washington can move forward knowing this one is not more severe, and it comes at a position where they have good depth. Bates is clearly a major part of new offensive coordinator David Blough’s scheme. His injury will give other tight ends in the room more reps. Ben Sinnott stands to directly benefit the most with his skills as a blocker, but Chig Okonkwo, Colson Yankoff, and Lawrence Cager all stand to see more attention in the process.

Why Bates’ Absence Matters

Bates brings extra value to the field with his physicality, blocking abilities, and highly underrated receiving skills that give him the ability to function in heavier offensive personnel packages. Replacing those abilities is not something you can just do in free agency this time of year; all of those guys are currently on rosters, which is why Sinnott is the most logical to see more work. Dan Quinn acknowledged that Bates’ absence will create opportunities elsewhere in the room. “I know John’s a warrior; he’ll be back. But it does give some spaces for people in those windows,” Quinn said before practice Saturday morning.

Sinnott’s Opportunity

Ben Sinnott was drafted in hopes of him becoming a complete tight end, rather than just a narrowly defined specialist. Bates’ absence will place Sinnott in personnel groupings and situations he otherwise may not have experienced as often. This is more than just an opportunity to catch passes at a higher rate. More time on the field means the staff gets more time to evaluate him against what they need at the position. This is the opportunity Sinnott has been waiting for, and how he handles it could determine whether he earns the larger role many expected him to compete for this season.

How Okonkwo Is Affected

Chig Okonkwo is another player whose workload will be affected by Bates being sidelined. Okonkwo’s style is more suited to receiving work and creating mismatches in space. His usage will likely increase in certain package situations. While Okonkwo is not necessarily a direct replacement for Bates, he can block better than most receiving tight ends.

With Bates expected to miss a few weeks, Sinnott’s window is now open to impress the staff and establish himself further before the normal rotation resumes. How he responds to this situation could expand his role even when Bates returns. While Bates’ injury put Washington in an unfortunate place just a few days into camp, it is the most meaningful opportunity Ben Sinnott has seen as a professional.

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