Percy Butler

Commanders To Start Sam Howell In Week 17

December 30th, 2023 at 5:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

DEC 30: Despite the Commanders seemingly moving towards Brissett as their starter at quarterback for the remainder of the season following two consecutive games in which Howell was benched, it looks like injuries will keep Howell in place under center for this weekend, at least. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, Brissett will be sidelined in Week 17 with an aggravated hamstring injury. With Brissett out this week, Howell will return to the starting role. Practice squad pass Jake Fromm will be signed to the active roster in order to back up Howell against the 49ers.

Joining Fromm on the 53-man roster from the practice squad will be long snapper Tucker Addington and offensive tackle Alex Akingbulu. They will also be joined by safety Sean Chandler and cornerback Nick Whiteside, who will serve as standard gameday practice squad elevations tomorrow. Fromm, Addington, and Akingbulu will be filling the roster spots left vacant by offensive tackle Charles Leno, safety Percy Butler, and center Tyler Larsen, who were all placed on injured reserve today.

DEC 27: After an aggressive quarterback pursuit in 2022, the Commanders stood down this year and centered their offseason around Sam Howell‘s development. Howell has started throughout the season; that is about to change.

Washington has benched the second-year QB in back-to-back games, and after Jacoby Brissett provided a spark in each, Ron Rivera said the veteran will receive his first start of the season in Week 17. Brissett, who signed a one-year deal this offseason, has already started for four teams throughout his career. This will be Brissett’s 49th career start.

This decision can be interpreted in multiple ways. On one hand, Rivera is almost definitely coaching his final games with the Commanders. He has long been viewed as on his way out after his fourth season. Front office changes are also expected, so this staff’s view of Howell may not matter much. But the team has also been linked to pursuing another starter-caliber QB in 2024 to at least push Howell. The Patriots’ upset of the Broncos in Week 16 moved the 4-11 Commanders into the No. 3 draft slot, and with the Cardinals not certain to select a QB at No. 2 — where they currently reside — Washington could be in position to make a major investment in Josh Harris‘ first offseason running the show.

Brissett, 31, has started for the Patriots, Colts, Dolphins and Browns throughout an interesting eight-year career. He has been one of this era’s premier backups, being thrust into duty twice on short notice and again later due to Deshaun Watson‘s suspension. The Colts turned to Brissett soon after acquiring him via trade in 2017, with Andrew Luck‘s troublesome shoulder injury requiring a full-season absence. A better Brissett version resurfaced in 2019, when Luck abruptly retired. The Colts then gave their regularly used backup a two-year, $30MM extension. Brissett could not command those terms in 2021 (with the Dolphins) or ’22 (Browns), but he made 16 starts in that span.

The Commanders gave Brissett a one-year, $8MM deal in March. While the team held a competition for the starting job, the Howell praise that persisted during the offseason pointed to the second-year passer winning that battle. Howell has shown flashes, but after struggling during a Commanders six-game skid, the North Carolina product has encountered some early turbulence. Despite two games remaining, Howell has joined only Watson (2018) as QBs to be sacked at least 60 times in a season over the past 17 years. The North Carolina alum has been dropped 60 times this season. Howell also leads the NFL with 17 INTs.

This Brissett move likely ensures Howell will not move close to David Carr‘s single-season record for sacks taken (72 in 2002), but it also points him toward an uncertain path after making all 15 starts for the Commanders this season. The team initially turned to Howell in Week 18 of last season, with the rookie leapfrogging Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke on the depth chart. A new HC-GM combo will be poised to assess Howell in 2024.

Commanders Place S Darrick Forrest, S Jeremy Reaves On IR

October 10th, 2023 at 11:22am CST by Sam Robinson

OCTOBER 10: While Forrest may be able to return later this year, the same does not appear to be the case for Reaves. The latter suffered a partially torn ACL, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. He is likely out for the season as a result, though Reaves is seeking further opinions before making a decision with respect to his recovery plan. Going the rest of the campaign without the 27-year-old will deal a notable blow to Washington’s special teams.

The Commanders have confirmed the IR moves for Forrest and Reaves while also announcing other roster tweaks. In addition to Burgess, linebacker De’Jon Harris has been signed from the practice squad to the active roster. The former UDFA made five appearances in each of the past two seasons in the nation’s capital, playing primarily on special teams. To fill the vacancy on the taxi squad, veteran safety Sean Chandler has been signed. The 27-year-old played all 17 games with the Panthers last season but he was suspended for two games in 2023 due to a substance-abuse policy violation.

OCTOBER 9: Days after a rough performance against the previously winless Bears, the Commanders received bad news on one of their starting safeties. Darrick Forrest is believed to have suffered a shoulder fracture, according to the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala.

A second-year starter in Washington, Forrest broke into the lineup on a full-time basis down the stretch last season. The Commanders have used Forrest as a first-stringer throughout his third NFL season; the former fifth-round pick played 95% of the team’s defensive snaps against the Bears before going down late with the injury. The Commanders hope Forrest will be able to come back after his four-week absence, Jhabvala adds.

The Commanders released Bobby McCain in March, ending a two-season partnership. Forrest, who commandeered the Commanders’ back-line job alongside Kamren Curl in Week 10 of last season, is signed through the 2024 season. The Commanders are planning to use second-year cog Percy Butler and second-round rookie Jartavius Martin at Forrest’s spot, Ron Rivera said.

Butler has seen more time than Martin this season. The latter sustained a concussion in Week 1 and has not logged any defensive snaps thus far in his second NFL slate. A hybrid player, Martin was the Commanders’ second DB choice to start the draft, being ticketed for Washington a round after the team chose Emmanuel Forbes. Butler has seen steady work in Year 2, playing 154 defensive snaps already. Through five games, Pro Football Focus ranks Forrest 59th and Butler 69th, respectively, among safeties.

Additionally, the Commanders will place backup safety Jeremy Reaves on IR; the sixth-year veteran suffered a knee injury against the Bears. Reaves has operated strictly on special teams this season but has been a spot starter in the past. Last season, Reaves earned first-team All-Pro acclaim for his special teams work, dealing Washington a blow in that department.

To help out at the position, the Commanders made multiple moves Monday. They are promoting safety Terrell Burgess to the active roster and adding Joshua Kalu to the practice squad. A former Rams third-round pick, Burgess split time with the Rams and Giants last season. Burgess was in camp with the Commanders but landed on the team’s practice squad after a late-August cut. Kalu started five games for the Titans last season.

Commanders S Kamren Curl May Need Surgery On Thumb

September 3rd, 2022 at 3:19pm CST by Ely Allen

The Commanders will already be without star defensive end Chase Young to start the season, but it’s looking like they may lose a starter in their secondary, as well. Third-year safety Kamren Curl suffered a thumb injury this week, according to Ben Standig of The Athletic. While head coach Ron Rivera shied away from giving the media a report on the injury, The Athletic reports that the injury may have required surgery, as Curl was seen in a sling and a possible cast.

It isn’t apparent when Curl suffered the injury, but he didn’t appear in the Commanders’ final preseason game against the Ravens last Saturday. It was reported that Curl had to leave practice last Thursday with a member of the training staff, but nothing official was reported.

Curl has been a pleasant surprise for Washington, emerging as a starter during his rookie season despite being a seventh-round draft pick. As a rookie starter, Curl intercepted three passes, returning one 76 yards for a touchdown. He was unable to pick off any passes in his sophomore season, but Curl was second on the team, behind only linebacker Cole Holcomb, in total tackles, outpacing fellow safety Landon Collins.

If Curl’s potential surgery forces him to miss any time, Washington has a number of options to fill in for him. The first name off the bench is likely Darrick Forrest. Forrest is a second-year safety out of Cincinnati. The former fifth-round pick played extremely sparingly last year, but should be prepared to step up in the case of Curl’s absence.

Additional depth can be provided by rookie fourth-round pick Percy Butler and Jeremy Reaves. Reaves has started eight games for Washington in his four years with the team and is a reliable depth piece in case the Commanders don’t feel fully comfortable relying on the younger Forrest or Butler.

It remains to be seen what the outlook is for Curl’s recovery. As Rivera told the media, “(they) don’t have to give (us) the injury report” until Wednesday.

Commanders Sign Second-Round DT Phidarian Mathis, Fourth-Round S Percy Butler

June 21st, 2022 at 4:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Commanders have come to terms with two defensive draftees. Both second-round defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis and fourth-round safety Percy Butler agreed to terms on their four-year rookie contracts Tuesday. This concludes the Commanders’ draft signings for 2022.

Washington’s decision to select Mathis 47th overall not only floods its interior defensive line with ex-Nick Saban charges, but it inserts uncertainty into Daron Payne‘s future in the nation’s capital.

Mathis is just one year younger than Payne, at 24, despite coming into the league four years later. But he is now signed through 2025, joining Jonathan Allen as Washington DTs inked to long-term deals. Payne is going into a contract year. While Washington has made no secret of its desire to extend Terry McLaurin, Payne extension matters have been much quieter.

Mathis enjoyed a breakout senior year at Alabama, registering nine sacks. Although the 312-pound D-tackle also played a key role for the 2020 national championship Crimson Tide edition, Mathis upped his stock considerably last season. Mathis could mix in as a backup this season, for a Washington team that lost Matt Ioannidis and Tim Settle this offseason, but Payne’s contract status will play a major role in his future.

Butler came off the board in the 113th spot. He joins a Commanders team that released veteran safety Landon Collins. The team still has starter Kamren Curl and brought back Bobby McCain in free agency, however. A Louisiana product, Butler figures to provide depth as a rookie.

Here is the 2022 Washington draft class:

Round 1: No. 16 (from Colts through Eagles and Saints) Jahan Dotson, WR (Penn State) (signed)
Round 2: No. 47 (from Colts) Phidarian Mathis, DT (Alabama) (signed)
Round 3: No. 98 (from Saints) Brian Robinson, RB (Alabama) (signed)
Round 4: No. 113 Percy Butler, S (Louisiana) (signed)
Round 5: No. 144 (from Panthers through Jaguars): Sam Howell, QB (North Carolina) (signed)
Round 5: N0. 149 (from Panthers) Cole Turner, TE (Nevada) (signed)
Round 7: No. 230 Chris Paul, OG (Tulsa) (signed)
Round 7: No. 240 (from Eagles through Colts) Christian Holmes, CB (Oklahoma State) (signed)