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Commanders G Sam Cosmi To Make 2025 Debut

October 18th, 2025 at 3:07pm CST by Ely Allen

The Commanders have added a major asset to their offense today, announcing that guard Sam Cosmi has finally been activated of the reserve/physically unable to perform list. He’ll be joined by cornerback Jonathan Jones, who is being activated off injured reserve.

Last year, the Commanders had one of the more consistent offensive line configurations in the NFL. Between left tackle Brandon Coleman, left guard Nick Allegretti, center Tyler Biadasz, Cosmi, and right tackle Andrew Wylie, no one player missed more than three games between Week 1 and the NFC Championship game. This year’s line has seen similar consistency with Biadasz and new tackles Laremy Tunsil and Josh Conerly, but the guard spots have seen change early on.

With Cosmi on the PUP list, the team started with Coleman shifting inside to left guard and Allegretti moving over to the right side. By Week 3, Chris Paul had stepped into the left guard spot, and Wylie returned to the starting lineup after shifting inside to right guard. Paul and Wylie have manned those starting roles for the last four weeks.

Cosmi was the starting lineman in Washington last year to miss more than two games, and it came at the worst possible moment. After tearing his ACL in the team’s regular season finale, Cosmi missed the Commanders’ entire playoff run. There were hopes in training camp that Cosmi may be able to work his way back for the start of the regular season, but ultimately, he was placed on the PUP list at the roster cut deadline and expectations soon dropped as he was deemed unlikely to even be able return after the mandatory four-week absence.

Ultimately, it wasn’t until October that Cosmi was finally able to return to practice, and with only three days remaining in his 21-day practice window, he’ll finally be able to return to the active roster. It’s unclear if Cosmi will be injected into the starting lineup right away. He’s been a full participant in practice all week, but they may want to ease him in. They also may not put him back at right guard but instead determine which spot needs him most.

Originally brought in to compete for a starting job across from Marshon Lattimore, Jones was beat out by rookie second-rounder Trey Amos. As a result, Jones was seeing his lowest snap shares since his rookie campaign in New England to start this year before getting placed on IR with a hamstring injury. Coming off of IR, Jones will get a chance to earn more opportunities while adding depth to the secondary. Washington released defensive end Jalyn Holmes to make room on the 53-man roster.

Commanders Designate CB Jonathan Jones To Return From IR

October 15th, 2025 at 7:59pm CST by Ely Allen

The Commanders are looking to return some significant depth to their secondary soon after designating veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones to return from injured reserve today, per ESPN’s John Keim. This gives Jones three weeks to either work his way back to the active roster or remain on IR for the remainder of the season.

After a nine-year start to his career in New England, Jones signed a one-year deal to come to Washington as a free agent. Always a strong contributor, Jones didn’t earn a full-time starting role with the Patriots until his seventh season of NFL play, which oddly enough came on the heels of a season in which he missed all but six games with a shoulder injury. He served as a full-time starter for three years in New England before the team allowed him to walk after a middling year of play last season.

The Commanders brought Jones in as part of a two-pronged approach at replacing Benjamin St-Juste and Emmanuel Forbes and upgrade the secondary. The other part of that approach came out of the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Ole Miss rookie Trey Amos ended up beating out Jones for the starting job across from Marshon Lattimore as second-year corner Mike Sainristil shifted inside to nickelback.

Jones was playing some of the lowest snap shares since his rookie campaign in New England to open the season, and any momentum building him towards a bigger workload went out the window when the team placed him on IR because of a hamstring injury. Washington’s newish-look secondary has struggled thus far in the season, currently ranking as the 24th-best pass defense in the NFL. If Jones can get back to the field, he may find a larger snap share waiting for him as the team does what it can to slow down opponents’ passing games.

The Commanders may also be looking to add a name at wide receiver as Noah Brown, Terry McLaurin, and Deebo Samuel all deal with their injuries. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, former Titans first-round wide receiver Treylon Burks will visit Washington tomorrow. Burks is expected to entertain interest from several teams, but it looks like the Commanders will be his second visit after he started off in Denver today.

Commanders Sign OLB Preston Smith

September 17th, 2025 at 10:21pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

After a visit on Tuesday, the Commanders have signed Preston Smith, per a team announcement, reuniting the veteran outside linebacker with the team that originally drafted him in 2015.

Smith, 32, has 70.5 career sacks and will bolster Washington’s edge rushing room after defensive end Deatrich Wise suffered a season-ending quad injury last week.

In a corresponding move, cornerback Jonathan Jones was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury sustained in Week 2 against the Packers. He will be sidelined for at least four games, though the team has not provided a timeline for his return.

Smith began his NFL career in Washington as a second-round pick in 2015 and impressed with eight sacks and three forced fumbles in his rookie year. He played out his first contract with the franchise, totaling 24.5 sacks and 29 tackles for loss across 64 appearances (50 starts). Smith then hit free agency in 2019, signed with the Packers for $13MM per year, and took his game up a notch with 41.5 sacks and 40 tackles for loss across his next five seasons.

That period that brought a second Green Bay contract. However, Smith started to show signs of his age in 2024, registering just 2.5 sacks and two TFLs over his first nine games with a decreased snap share among a group of younger edge rushers.

Smith’s lack of comfort as 4-3 DE under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley – compared to his steady production as a 3-4 OLB – also contributed to his statistical downturn and led Smith to request a trade. The Packers obliged, sending him to the Steelers in exchange for a seventh-round pick. Smith saw even less playing time in Pittsburgh and added two sacks and three TFLs to his season tally. He was released by the Steelers in January and drew some interest this offseason, though it wasn’t strong enough to result in a contract before the season.

Smith will now join an edge rushing group headlined by Von Miller with several other reliable but unspectacular players. Smith will turn 33 in November and didn’t participate in training camp or the preseason, so his snap count will have to be managed, certainly early on and potentially for the rest of the season. He’s put up at least four sacks in every year of his decade in the NFL, and a repeat effort in 2025 would be a solid outcome for the Commanders defense.

Washington’s injury woes don’t stop with Jones and Wise, either. They’ve spread to the offense, too; tight end John Bates and wide receiver Noah Brown are both considered long shots to play against the Raiders in Week 3, per a pair of reports from JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington.

Commanders’ Jonathan Jones, Trey Amos To Compete For Starting CB Role

May 26th, 2025 at 2:24pm CST by Adam La Rose

One starting spot amongst the Commanders’ perimeter corners is assured of with 2024 trade acquisition Marshon Lattimore. Mike Sainristil, meanwhile, will again handle first-team duties in 2025 but it remains to be seen if he will find himself on the outside or in the slot.

Determining where best to use the latter will of course take into account the competition for the other starting cornerback gig. On that note, Washington is in position to have a free agent addition and a rookie vying for that role. Jonathan Jones and Trey Amos offer different skillets, and The Athletic’s Ben Standig writes one of them should wind up in the starting lineup for 2025 (subscription required).

Jones inked a one-year deal in March to head to the nation’s capital. That pact – which has a base value of $5.5MM and includes $1MM in incentives – ended his nine-year run with the Patriots. The 31-year-old had expressed a willingness to remain in New England, but the team spent big on the open market to add Carlton Davis at the cornerback spot. Now, Jones will look to earn a starting spot on his second career team and help his 2026 market value along the way.

The former UDFA totaled 71 starts during his Patriots tenure, including 44 across the past three seasons. He would thud offer considerable experience to the Commanders if he were to handle first-team responsibilities, although at 5-9 Jones would likely be tasked with operating in the slot. That, in turn, would push Sainristil (who is himself 5-10) to the boundary, where he finished the 2024 season. That transition elevated Noah Igbinoghene to a starting spot on the inside, and having re-signed with Washington the former first-rounder is again a candidate to see playing time in 2025.

Amos was selected 61st overall in last month’s draft, making him the Commanders’ second choice of the event. The Ole Miss product dealt with a back injury leading up to the draft, something which is believed to have affected his stock to an extent. Given his size – 6-1, 195 pounds – and success as a press cover corner in college, Amos is suited to handle starting duties on the perimeter at the NFL level. As Standig notes, the ideal trio would see him operate right away on defense opposite Lattimore with Sainristil moving back to the slot.

Plenty of time remains for a Jones-Amos competition to take place, and its result will inform the Commanders’ decisions in the secondary ahead of the campaign. With nearly $23MM in cap space at the moment, Washington will be able to make a cornerback addition if one is deemed necessary.

Commanders To Sign CB Jonathan Jones

March 12th, 2025 at 4:37pm CST by Adam La Rose

Jonathan Jones will be on the move for the first time in his career this offseason. The longtime Patriots corner has a one-year deal in place with the Commanders, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

This leaves David Andrews as the last player left from the Patriots’ Super Bowl years, as Jones had become a quick fixture on the Pats’ most recent three such seasons. As Mike Vrabel aggressively turns over the roster, Jones is moving on. This deal has a maximum value of $6.5MM, per Fowler.

Operating in the slot and on the outside for the Pats, Jones had been a staple for the team under Bill Belichick and then Jerod Mayo. Jones has made an atypical late-career transition, sliding from perennial slot stopper to a boundary corner. After playing almost all of his 2022 snaps outside, Jones earned a two-year, $19MM deal to stay in what turned out to be Belichick’s finale. The Pats paid up for Carlton Davis, however, and the pricey free agency addition will complement Christian Gonzalez in 2025.

Jones, 31, continued on the outside over the past two years but will probably be better remembered for his slot defense, seeing as those years overlapped with the close of a dynasty. The Patriots added Jones as a 2016 UDFA and immediately put him to work. Jones predated Stephon Gilmore in Foxborough, complementing Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan in 2016. Belichick led Butler, Ryan, Gilmore and J.C. Jackson leave but prioritized Jones, giving him two veteran contracts to stay.

Jones played 132 regular-season games with the Pats and was on the field for eight more playoff contests. Jones joined Butler in not playing in Super Bowl LII, though the former’s absence was not controversial as it came due to injury. While Butler’s absence will be talked about for a while, Jones’ goes overlooked during Nick Foles‘ masterpiece. Jones was open to staying in New England, but MassLive.com’s Karen Guregian had reported he would hit the market.

“I would love to (stay),” Jones said. “It’s rare for a guy to be in one place his entire career. Especially after being undrafted, being here my entire career, I feel indebted to be here.”

Jones will join a Commanders team that let Benjamin St-Juste leave for a Chargers deal. Washington has Mike Sainristil as a potential long-term slot option, and Marshon Lattimore‘s recently acquired contract runs through 2026. With Michael Davis and Noah Igbinoghene unsigned, Jones will have a clear route to a starting role. Considering Lattimore’s run of recent injury trouble, Jones figures to be an important addition.

Patriots Prioritized Keeping Jonathan Jones, Received Calls On Kyle Dugger

November 12th, 2024 at 10:52am CST by Sam Robinson

With David Andrews out for the season, just one regular starter from the Patriots’ Super Bowl years remains in their lineup. Jonathan Jones is playing out his third contract with the team, doing so as a starting cornerback.

Now 31, Jones once teamed with the likes of Stephon Gilmore and the McCourty brothers for the previous Super Bowl-winning Pats squad. While Gilmore was only part of one Pats Super Bowl-winning team, Jones served as a regular for the 2016 and ’18 squads. As the Patriots play out the string in their first post-Bill Belichick season, they held onto the ninth-year veteran at the trade deadline.

Jones came up as a trade chip late last month, but it was reported the Pats were not interested in moving him. Jones effectively confirmed this by indicating front office boss Eliot Wolf (via ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss) informed him before the trade deadline he would not be moved. This locks in Jones to playing out a two-year, $19MM deal in New England.

As the Pats passed on re-signing Gilmore, trading the former Defensive Player of the Year in 2022, they found room for Jones. The latter re-signed as a free agent in 2023. Under Belichick, the Patriots were certainly not known for overpaying aging players. But the team had kept Devin McCourty and Dont’a Hightower in the fold while turning to other vets on middle-class contracts. Jones followed in those standouts’ footsteps, but as Wolf’s regime handed out a bevy of contracts to keep Belichick-era talent this offseason, the versatile cornerback was not among them. Jones is heading back toward free agency.

The former UDFA has settled in as an outside corner opposite ascending talent Christian Gonzalez. Pro Football Focus ranks the former Super Bowl-era slot performer 43rd among corners. It will be interesting to see if the Patriots eye another short-term deal with Jones in 2025, as his age will limit his market to a degree. They hold exclusive negotiating rights with Jones until the legal tampering period.

For now, Jones is helping a defense support a Drake Maye-led attack. Kyle Dugger joins him in that regard, but his name also came up at last week’s deadline. Calls came in on the fifth-year safety, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. As could be expected given the team’s offseason investment in Dugger, it does not appear serious talks took place.

Unlike the Giants with Xavier McKinney, the Pats did keep Dugger off the market by applying the transition tag. This provided a bridge to an extension agreed upon not long after. Dugger, 28, is attached to a four-year, $58MM deal that includes a fully guaranteed 2025 base salary ($9.75MM). Considering the dead money that would have come from trading Jones now (upwards of $16MM), it certainly is not surprising no serious Dugger trade rumors emerged.

Each of New England’s five DB regulars arrived under Belichick, with nearly the team’s entire defense consisting of additions from the fired HC/de facto GM’s time at the helm. Davon Godchaux also came up in trade talks, but the recently extended defender remains. The Pats did trade Matt Judon this summer and Josh Uche (to the Chiefs) at the deadline, so they will enter the offseason with a need on the edge. Jones’ impending free agency will require a decision at corner, though Dugger’s status ensures some safety stability moving forward.

Patriots Shopping Multiple Receivers, Not Interested In Trading Jonathan Jones

October 29th, 2024 at 10:41pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Patriots made their first trade deadline move on Monday, sending edge rusher Josh Uche to the Chiefs for a sixth-round pick, and New England may have more moves in store as November 5 approaches.

The Patriots are “fielding calls on corners and receivers,” per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, with Tyquan Thornton and K.J. Osborn as the wideouts of interest.

New England has already been shopping Thornton for a few weeks, and Osborn may be frustrated after his playing time dropped in recent weeks. He is the more proven receiver after recording at least 500 receiving yards in each of the last three seasons for the Vikings, but he’s only averaging 27.3 yards per game this year as part of a struggling Patriots offense with turnover across the offensive line and under center. Osborn would also be an affordable acquisition for nearly any team; he is owed just over $1MM in salary and per game roster bonuses across the rest of the season.

Thornton also has just over $1MM of salary remaining this season, and he is under contract for 2.24MM in 2025, though that is not guaranteed. He has just four catches for 47 yards this season, but his speed is undeniable after a 4.28-second 40 yard dash at the Combine in 2022. He could be an affordable, speedy addition to a team that believes they can still get the best out of the 24-year-old.

New England is not interested in trading veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones, according to Breer, despite the fact that the 31-year-old Jones is a pending free agent who does not fit in the team’s long-term roster plans. Jones is set to earn $5M for the rest of 2024, making him a pricier acquisition for a team in need of secondary help. If the Patriots aren’t looking to trade him, Jones is unlikely to leave New England this season unless he requests a trade.

Instead of selling players, the Patriots could be buyers at the deadline despite their 2-6 record. After their Week 8 victory over the Jets, New England is “monitoring the trade market to potentially add talent,” per veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson.

The Patriots are specifically looking to upgrade at wide receiver, defensive tackle, and offensive tackle. Several offensive and defensive linemen are on injured reserve, forcing the Patriots to cycle multiple units in the trenches on both sides of the ball this year. However, sacrificing significant draft compensation for short-term upgrades in a losing season would be a surprise for a Patriots regime that seems committed to rebuilding under head coach Jerod Mayo and first-round quarterback Drake Maye.

Patriots Could Pursue CB Depth

July 18th, 2024 at 7:16pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots’ cornerbacks corps is set to look a bit different in 2024. Myles Bryant, Jalen Mills, and J.C. Jackson accounted for 1,743 snaps last season but are no longer on the roster. The team can still feel comfortable atop their depth chart; Jonathan Jones returns after emerging as an outside CB in 2023, and the team will also welcome back 2023 first-round pick Christian Gonzalez, who was limited to only four games as a rookie thanks to a torn labrum and dislocated shoulder.

However, the depth behind that duo remains questionable, and that could lead the Patriots to pursue some reinforcement. As Ben Volin of the Boston Globe writes, the organization could be in the market for a cornerback if somebody “doesn’t emerge in the first couple weeks of camp.”

Volin is confident that the team has a temporary answer to replace Bryant in the slot, with former Bills draft pick Alex Austin having impressed the organization down the stretch last season. Otherwise, the team is eyeing some uninspiring options.

Shaun Wade started six of his 14 appearances last season, but the former Ravens fifth-round pick isn’t guaranteed a roster spot. Marcus Jones impressed on special teams as a rookie but only saw a part-time role on defense. Coming off a shoulder injury that limited him to only two games in 2023, Jones will once again have to prove himself as a cornerback. The rest of the team’s depth includes the likes of sixth-round rookie Marcellas Dial and 2023 seventh-round pick Isaiah Bolden.

If the Patriots’ staff realizes they only have two or three capable CBs, the team could pivot to free agency. Volin specifially points to Jackson, who remains unsigned. The veteran was acquired by New England via trade in October, and he started six of his eight appearances during his second stint with the team.

Former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore remains unsigned, and the cornerback recently expressed interest in a reunion with the organization. Xavien Howard, Patrick Peterson, and Adoree’ Jackson are also still free agents, although there’s a chance the rebuilding squad just prefers to take a chance on an unproven talent.

Contract Details: Young, Awuzie, Taylor, Rams, Cards, Chargers, 49ers, Lions, Texans

March 20th, 2024 at 10:12am CST by Sam Robinson

With free agency’s first wave in the rearview mirror, here is a look at some of the contracts authorized by teams in the days since the market opened:

  • Chidobe Awuzie, CB (Titans). Three years, $36MM. Contract includes $22.98MM guaranteed. Awuzie’s 2025 base salary ($11.49MM) is guaranteed for injury at signing, with $7.51MM of that total fully guaranteed. Awuzie being on Tennessee’s roster on April 1 of next year locks in the other $3.98MM. The veteran cornerback is a due a $1MM bonus on April 1, 2026, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
  • Darious Williams, CB (Rams). Three years, $22.5MM. Commanding a market, the recent Jaguars cap casualty’s second Rams contract can be worth up to $30MM, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
  • Chase Young, DE (Saints). One year, $13MM. The deal includes $7.99MM in per-game roster bonuses, CBS Sports Jonathan Jones notes. Including a $2.7MM base salary and a $1.86MM signing bonus, Young’s New Orleans pact is still heavily tilted toward games active. That will make the defensive end’s recovery from neck surgery worth monitoring more closely.
  • Tyrod Taylor, QB (Jets): Two years, $12MM. Taylor will see $8.5MM fully guaranteed, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets. An additional $6MM in incentives are present in the veteran QB’s deal. Three void years are included here, dropping Taylor’s 2024 cap hit to $2.8MM.
  • DeeJay Dallas, RB (Cardinals): Three years, $8.25MM. Dallas will see $2.4MM guaranteed, Wilson tweets. The final two base salaries on this contract — both worth $2.4MM — are nonguaranteed. Rushing yards-based incentives run up to $750K per year in this deal.
  • Javon Kinlaw, DT (Jets): One year, $7.25MM. The ex-49ers first-rounder will receive a $5.5MM signing bonus, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson indicating the deal also includes $1.75MM in incentives.
  • Gus Edwards, RB (Chargers). Two years, $6.5MM. The ex-Ravens back will see $3.38MM guaranteed, Wilson tweets. Edwards’ $3MM 2025 base salary is nonguaranteed, with Wilson adding he is due a $125K roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2025 league year.
  • Noah Brown, WR (Texans): One year, $4MM. Brown re-signed with the Texans for $3MM guaranteed, per Wilson. The wideout’s second Houston contract can max out at $5MM.
  • Jon Feliciano, G (49ers). One year, $2.75MM. Feliciano will receive a $925K signing bonus, and Wilson adds $1.25MM in incentives are present in this accord.
  • Emmanuel Moseley, CB (Lions). One year, $1.13MM. Moseley will stay in Detroit for the veteran minimum, via the Detroit News’ Justin Rogers. Coming off a second ACL tear in two years, Moseley will receive a $1MM signing bonus. He received $6MM in 2023.

Notable 2024 Pro Bowl Incentives

January 4th, 2024 at 8:52pm CST by Ben Levine

The NFL released the AFC and NFC Pro Bowl rosters last night. While the annual All-Star event has lost some of its luster (and is eyeing a significant revamping in 2024), a Pro Bowl selection is still a significant accomplishment for many players…especially from a financial standpoint.

There were a number of Pro Bowlers whose selections were tied to contract incentives. We’ve collected some of the notable Pro Bowl incentives below:

Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick didn’t have a traditional Pro Bowl incentive, but his selection will still result in more money. Per Corry, Reddick’s 2024 base salary will increase by $500K (from $13.75MM to $14.25MM) thanks to the Pro Bowl selection.

A handful of former first-round picks also boosted the value of their fifth-year options by earning their first Pro Bowl nod (via Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus): Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton, Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, Ravens offensive lineman Tyler Linderbaum, Lions offensive lineman Penei Sewell, and Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon. Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner and Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain boosted the value of their fifth-round option to the maximum amount with a second Pro Bowl selection.

Beyond incentives, players also get some cash for just participating in the Pro Bowl event. As Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports writes, players on the winning team will earn $88K, while players on the losing team will get $44K. This even applies to Pro Bowl players who can’t participate since they’re playing in the Super Bowl.

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