ASHBURN, Va. — With 14 minutes and 21 seconds left in the first quarter of the Washington Commanders ’ second preseason game, the Cincinnati Bengals executed a backwards pass to running back Chase Brown, who then turned upfield looking to gain big yards for his team.

Safety Quan Martin tackled him after a gain of four yards, and for the Commanders’ defender, that play might have been the single-most important one of the entire game, though it wasn’t even his best play of the night.

That is because, following the end of the 2024 NFL season, the Washington safety had not one, but two shoulder surgeries, repairing injuries he suffered during the year but played through for the sake of his team.

Making that first tackle of his first full-speed game of the year was a moment he’d been w

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