Garafolo: Biadasz injury considered long-term

Biadasz sustained a major knee injury this week in joint practices with the 49ers. Schefter said Biadasz sustained “damage to his ACL and additional injuries to his left knee,” and will seek second opinions on how to deal with the injury. That’s never a good sign, and likely means Biadasz is done for the 2026 season. His absence could be a blow for Omarion Hampton and the Chargers’ run game under new OC Mike McDaniel.

He couldn’t put any weight on his leg and “smacked the cart when he sat on it.” This sounds like it has the potential to be a season-ender for the newly-signed center. The Chargers did just spend a second-round pick on Florida’s Jake Slaughter, but he’s been in competition for the left guard spot. If Biadasz is out for a significant period, it would make sense for them to divert Slaughter back to the position he played in college.

A week after being released by the Commanders, Biadasz now lands with the Chargers, who were desperately hoping to upgrade their offensive line this offseason. The sixth-year vet also had interest from the Bears, but the Chargers clearly offered the more enticing deal to bring in the former Pro Bowler. Biadasz has played in 31 of a possible 34 games since 2024 and earned a PFF grade of 70.7 while playing on 954 snaps last season. He’ll provide an immediate upgrade at center for a Chargers offensive line that was among the league’s worst last season.

Schefter also said the Bears currently have “no ties” to Trey Hendrickson, and he believes they could pursue C Tyler Biadasz or C Lloyd Cushenberry to handle other needs. The Bears have been linked to Crosby in other reports, so this is interesting. Earlier today, Trey Wingo reported that the Cowboys are expected to pursue Hendrickson after other teams entered trade talks with the Raiders last night by reportedly putting two first-round picks on the table.

Seems like they may have known about Drew Dalman’s retirement before we did. Biadasz played reasonably for the Commanders last season and would seem like a solid Dalman replacement given the alternatives.

Biadasz joined the Commanders in 2024 and started all 31 games he played. The veteran center’s release comes with one year still left on his deal, but it can net the team savings just north of $8.285 million if he’s designated as a post-June 1 release. A one-time Pro Bowler, Biadasz will be 28 at the start of next season and earned a PFF grade of 71.5 while playing on 954 snaps, per PFF. He should have plenty of suitors on the open market in the coming days.

As is right tackle Cornelius Lucas. Both linemen got in one limited practice this week. The team is likely ramping them up for a return in the Wild Card Round. Down multiple offensive linemen, the Commanders could take a conservative approach on offense this week. They are locked into a playoff spot regardless of the outcome of this game.

Gonzalez is dealing with a left foot injury and was listed as questionable entering the weekend despite being a full participant in Thursday and Friday’s practices. Apparently unwilling to risk it, the Commanders have opted to sit Gonzalez for Week 15, thus forcing newly-signed vet Greg Joseph into the role. Joseph has converted on 13-of-16 field goal attempts this season while playing with the Giants while making all six of his extra point attempts. In addition to Gonzalez, the Commanders also declared WR K.J. J Osborn, QB Jeff Driskel, CB Michael Davis, LB Dominique Hampton C Tyler Biadasz, and DT Phidarian Mathis inactive. Biadasz was reportedly dealing with an illness that struck over the weekend, which led to the team holding him out after pre-game warmups.

Biadasz presumably fell ill overnight, prompting the team to give him an injury designation. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Biadasz “needs to improve a lot to play.” It sounds like backup center Michael Deiter will draw the start this week.

Biadasz is the second former Cowboy who has been linked to the Commanders. Biadasz, 26, will immediately help a Commanders offensive line that needs a major overhaul. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2022 and has missed only two games over the last three seasons. Last season, Biadasz was graded as the 13th-best center in the league per PFF, allowing three sacks on 25 pressures.