The NFL journey of Washington Commanders cornerback and 2023 first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes Jr. just took another turn.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on his official X account on Sept. 12 that Forbes would undergo surgery for a torn UCL in his right thumb on Sept. 13.
“Sources: #Commanders CB Emmanuel Forbes Jr. will undergo surgery tomorrow to repair a torn UCL in his thumb, a blow to the secondary and for the former first-round pick,” Rapoport wrote. “By having the procedure now, Forbes will fix an issue that would’ve been a problem all season.”
Forbes suffered the injury in a 37-20, season-opening loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 8. Forbes was the No. 16 overall pick in 2023 but lost his starting spot several times as a rookie and entered 2024 as the backup to Benjamin St.-Juste at one of the cornerback spots.
According to ESPN’s John Keim, the Commanders won’t determine if Forbes will go injured reserve until after his surgery.
Forbes’ Struggles Continued in Season-Opening Loss
Unfortunately for Forbes, the season opener just seemed to be a continuation of his struggles from his rookie season.
Forbes was on the field for 33 plays and targeted 3 times and gave up 3 receptions at an average of 12.7 yards per catch. He was also called for a face mask penalty and for pass interference.
Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield didn’t just pick on Forbes — he spread the damage around and finished 24-of-30 passing for 289 yards, 4 touchdowns and no interceptions.
Forbes was one of 4 cornerbacks who played one one side of the field along with St.-Juste and along with former first-round pick Noah Igbinoghene and rookie Mike Sainristil.
Injury Means Forbes No Longer Trade Bait
The fact that Forbes has been essentially negative value in terms of on-field production since he was drafted and signed a 4-year, $15.4 million rookie contract. In fact, the main drawback of Forbes getting hurt at this point would be the Commanders inability to dangle him as trade bait to a team in desperate need of cornerbacks and get a late-round pick in return.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox listed Forbes as a trade candidate, listing the Cleveland Browns as a “potential suitor.”
“The Commanders made Forbes the 16th overall pick in last year’s draft, but the second-year corner may already need a new home to thrive,” Knox wrote on September 11. “Forbes struggled mightily as a rookie, allowing an opposing passer rating of 103.0 in coverage. This season was supposed to bring the 23-year-old a fresh opportunity, but it doesn’t feel as if Washington’s new regime truly believes in him.
“After being called for two penalties on the same play in Week 1, Forbes was pulled from the lineup. Twice. At this point, it might be best for the Commanders to find another starting corner and see what they can get for Forbes in a trade—although his health could complicate matters.”
One option for Washington could be just to go with St.-Juste, Igbinoghene and Sainristil and hope they figure it out on the job. The Commanders have one of the few clearly winnable games on their schedule in Week 2 when they play their home opener against the New York Giants.
