SUFFOLK, VA (WTKR)- It's been a long 13-month, 19-game wait for Deatrich Wise Jr. This past Sunday afternoon, he was finally back on the field.
"It was a really good feeling," the Commanders' defensive end said after Sunday's game with the Giants. "It's been a long time since I've been able to get back on the field, back in the game, and I was just really excited to be out there with my brothers making plays, helping us get the advantage."
Wise was in his second game in a Washington uniform last September when he tore his quadriceps during a game against the Packers, ending his 2025 season. It was a feeling unusual to the defensive end, who had appeared in at least 15 games in each of his first eight seasons with the Patriots. With rehab in his rearview mirror, Wise is once again side-by-side with his teammates on the gridiron after a long and bumpy road to health.
"When you have 395 days away from football, it's a lot of ups and downs, no light at the end of the tunnel," he recalled. "But, at the same time, I truly feel like I had a really good support system around me."
Wise attended high school in Texas and played his college football at Arkansas, but his journey also has a Hampton Roads connection. He spent parts of elementary and middle school in Suffolk and a mention of his time in the 757 brings a smile to his face.
"I used to live in Chuckatuck, Virginia," he grinned. "I went to King's Fork Middle School, I went to Oakland Elementary School, so definitely a big sentimental connection."
Back to health and back in the trenches, Wise isn't wasting any time getting to work. He picked up three tackles, all solo stops, in Sunday's tie with the Giants and now sets his sights on fine-tuning, while helping to get Washington back on the right track.
"Just keep going up," he said. "Keep stacking games, get back to the film. I've got some technique things I've got to clean up, so just working on my technique, fundamentals so I can help the team win next week."
Wise and the Commanders visit the 49ers next Monday night. San Francisco is 5-0, with three of those victories coming against squads that won at least 12 games in 2025.
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