HEADLINES

Washington Commanders News & Rumors

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 Set For Return To DC

September 17th, 2025 at 10:08pm CST by Ely Allen

As expected, the Commanders received good news today as it was announced that the D.C. Council voted to approve the RFK Stadium Project, allowing the franchise to return to the site of its former home of 36 years. A statement from team owner Josh Harris announced Washington’s plans moving forward.

“Today is a historic day for D.C., the Commanders organization, and our fans,” the statement began. “With the Council’s approval, we can now move forward on the transformative RFK Project that will bring lasting economic growth for our city.”

Harris went on to thank Mayor Mureil Bowser and several other contributors before concluding, “We are deeply grateful for the warm return to the District and the center of the DMV, and look forward to officially bringing the team back to its spiritual home in 2030.”

A month and a half ago, Harris and Co. cleared a huge hurdle in getting the first vote to pass 9-3 after severe challenges were present from the project’s conception. An incredibly unlikely unanimous congressional vote from all 100 senators allowed Congress to lease the federal land, on which the stadium was to be built, to the city for 99 years. Following the good news, a deal was struck consisting of a $2.7BB investment from the team towards the stadium and a $1BB investment “through various means” from the city for the development of housing, a sports complex, and retail shops on the 174-acre property.

Even after some feckless threats from the commander-in-chief, the D.C. Council pushed the deal through to today’s second vote. After today’s vote passed 11-2, per David Aldridge of The Athletic, the deal will now move on to Bowser’s desk. There’s little doubt whether or not it will get approved from there. Bowser has championed the project and heralded the passing of each obstacle as a victory.

According to ESPN’s John Keim, who’s chronicled this saga from the beginning, there were some last-second scares that could’ve threatened everything. Per Keim, an amendment to the deal was proposed that “called for a $10MM penalty per year if the Commanders did not meet the timeline to build housing.” That amendment — one of 12 — was rejected by the council.

After clearing several hurdles to get to this point, the RFK Stadium Project should be on the final home stretch. The franchise will now have five years to make the nine-mile trek back from Landover, MD.

Jayden Daniels Diagnosed With Knee Sprain, Week 3 Status In Doubt

September 17th, 2025 at 12:09pm CST by Ben Levine

September 17: Daniels will not practice on Wednesday, said Quinn (via NBC4 Washington). He added that Daniels would need to practice on Friday and be evaluated by the team before a decision on the Commanders’ Week 3 starter is made.

September 15: After getting banged up during Washington’s loss to Green Bay on Thursday, Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels underwent an MRI. The star sophomore has since been diagnosed with a knee sprain, putting his status for Week 3 in doubt, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo (and via NFL.com’s Kevin Patra).

[RELATED: Commanders QB Jayden Daniels Underwent MRI On Knee]

There is surely a sigh of relief in Washington, as the NFL Network insiders noted that the injury isn’t expected to be a long-term issue. Daniels had a separate check-in with team doctors today, and coach Dan Quinn later stated that his QB1 is considered day-to-day. The team will have more understanding of his Week 3 status when they return to practice on Wednesday.

The 2024 second-overall pick made it through his rookie campaign unscathed, although he did have to exit a midseason contest with a rib issue (which was later revealed to be a fracture). Daniels’ slender frame and dynamic play style left some scouts concerned about his durability, but he seemed to eliminate that narrative last year. Even a temporary absence in 2024 shouldn’t do much to reignite that unease.

Daniels, of course, had a rookie season for the record books, tossing 25 touchdowns and adding another six on the ground while guiding the Commanders to their first playoff victory since the 2005 season. The Commanders are hoping they can continue that momentum in 2025, although that task would prove to be a bit more daunting if Daniels is hobbled.

If Daniels does miss time, Marcus Mariota would likely be under center for the Commanders. The former second-overall pick re-signed with the Commanders this past offseason on a one-year, $8MM deal. Veteran Josh Johnson represents the only other QB on the active roster, with Sam Hartman currently stashed on the practice squad.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/16/25

September 16th, 2025 at 7:42pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

  • Signed: LB Malik Hamm

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Washington Commanders

  • Signed: G Tyler Cooper, WR Tay Martin
  • Placed on IR: G Darrian Dalcourt

The Steelers added a notable wide receiver to their taxi squad in Isaiah Hodgins. The wideout bounced between the Giants practice squad and active roster in 2024, but he’s not far removed from a stretch between 2022 and 2023 when he hauled in 58 catches for 622 yards and seven touchdowns. He’ll be joining a group of practice squad WRs that includes Rakim Jarrett and rookie Ke’Shawn Williams.

Speaking of the Giants, they added a veteran linebacker in Neville Hewitt. The 32-year-old has appeared in 146 games in time with the Dolphins, Jets, and Texans. His best season came with New York in 2020, when he compiled 134 tackles and a pair of sacks. He mostly saw a special teams role while in Houston, but he rebounded in 2024, tallying 59 tackles and a pair of forced fumbles in 17 games (four starts).

Commanders Host DE Preston Smith

September 16th, 2025 at 6:10pm CST by Ben Levine

The Commanders are eyeing an old friend for some help on the edge. Pass rusher Preston Smith visited the team today, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.

[RELATED: Commanders DE Deatrich Wise Suffers Season-Ending Quad Injury]

A second-round pick in 2015, Smith spent the first four years of his career in Washington. He never truly lived up to his draft billing, although he didn’t miss a start between 2016 and 2018. His best statistical season with the franchise may have come in a limited role during his rookie campaign, when he compiled eight sacks and three forced fumbles. Over the next three years, Smith added another 16.5 sacks to his resume.

He joined the Packers ahead of the 2019 season and had his most productive year, finishing with 12 sacks and 23 QB hits. He ended up serving as a full-time starter for Green Bay through the 2023 season, with the pass rusher tallying 25.5 sacks between 2021 and 2023.

He started nine games for the Packers in 2024 before getting dealt midseason to the Steelers, where he served in a part-time role. He finished last season with 32 tackles and 4.5 sacks. He was released by Pittsburgh back in February and has spent the last seven months unsigned.

He could find his next opportunity where his career started. The Commanders need some help at defensive end after Deatrich Wise suffered a season-ending quad injury. Newcomers Jacob Martin and Von Miller will be asked to pick up some of the slack alongside Dorance Armstrong and Javontae Jean-Baptiste, but Smith would provide some additional veteran depth to the grouping.

Smith wasn’t the only veteran defender to audition for the Commanders today. Per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson also visited the team today. Jefferson most recently split the 2024 campaign between the Browns and Bills, where he collected a pair of sacks.

NFL Minor Transactions: 9/15/25

September 15th, 2025 at 7:35pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Dallas Cowboys

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

As expected, Cowboys center Cooper Beebe landed on injured reserve today after suffering an ankle and foot injury during yesterday’s win over the Giants. The lineman suffered a lateral sprain in his ankle along with a bone fracture in his foot, an injury that’s expected to keep him sidelined for six to eight weeks. During an appearance on 105.3 The Fan, Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones expressed optimism that the injury timeline is “on the shorter end of that” (per Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com).

Commanders To Sign RB Chase Edmonds

September 15th, 2025 at 3:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

In the wake of losing Austin Ekeler for the season, the Commanders have added backfield depth. Veteran Chase Edmonds has a deal in place with Washington, as first reported by Fox Sports’ Greg Auman.

Prior to reaching this agreement, the Commanders looked into other free agent options. As Tom Pelissero of NFL Network notes, Demetric Felton, Khalil Herbert and Nyheim Miller-Hines also visited Washington. Each member of that trio remains unsigned, however.

To no surprise, this will be a practice squad arrangement. The Commanders still have Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Chris Rodriguez Jr. in the mix as healthy backfield options. Edmonds will offer the team with a veteran presence if he receives a gameday elevation, though.

The 29-year-old last played in 2023 with the Buccaneers. Edmonds split his time the previous season with the Dolphins and Broncos. Prior to that, he played out his rookie contract as a member of the Cardinals. That span overlapped with then-head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who is now the Commanders’ offensive coordinator. Edmonds thus represents a familiar face for his new team.

Over his six NFL seasons, the former fourth-rounder primarily worked as a rotational option in the backfield. In 2021, Edmonds started 11 of 12 games and handled a career-high 116 carries; that resulted in a personal best in terms of rushing yards (592). Similar numbers should not be expected after an absence this long and with a third-string role (at the most) in place, of course.

Still, Edmonds could handle part-time duties upon returning to NFL action. The Fordham product has racked up 158 receptions during his career, so he could look to compensate for Ekeler’s loss in the pass-catching department. Finding success in that capacity could help his value next offseason and lead to a market strong enough to avoid remaining unsigned into the 2026 regular season.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/13/25

September 13th, 2025 at 4:51pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Saturday’s practice squad moves:

Chicago Bears

Indianapolis Colts

Washington Commanders

The Commanders needed Wishnowsky as insurance with regular punter Tress Way dealing with back issues throughout the week, but having made it through Week 2 with a heathy Way, Washington brings back Cager, whom they dropped to make room for Wishnowsky.

Carlton was moved off the practice squad to make room for former third-round kicker Jake Moody, who cleared waivers after getting cut from San Francisco this week and signed a practice squad deal in Chicago.

Commanders RB Austin Ekeler Suffered Achilles Tear

September 13th, 2025 at 12:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

September 13: An MRI confirmed that Ekeler suffered a torn Achilles, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. He will miss the rest of the 2025 season as a result with Croskey-Merritt and McNichols set to step up in the Commanders’ backfield. Washington may be regretting their decision to deal Robinson before the regular season and could explore a running back addition via free agency or the trade market.

September 11: A cart transported Austin Ekeler off the field tonight in Green Bay, and the Washington running back is unlikely to play again this season. Some inside the Commanders organization believe the veteran pass-catching back suffered a season-ending injury, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.

Ekeler will undergo an MRI, but the expectation — according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter — is his second Commanders season will end after two games due to a torn Achilles. This will leave Washington without its top back, as the team traded three-year starter Brian Robinson to San Francisco in late August.

In the second season of a two-year, $8.43MM contract, Ekeler was to play a lead role for the Commanders. At 30 and due for free agency again in March, the former single-season touchdown leader faces an uncertain NFL future. Ekeler went down on a noncontact play in the fourth quarter. Trying to walk off the field under his own power, the dynamic RB fell back to the turf and needed assistance leaving the game.

Although Ekeler could not command a lofty guarantee as a 2024 free agent, he played an auxiliary role in Washington’s journey to its first NFC championship game in 33 years. Missing five games due to injury and complementing Robinson, the former UDFA accumulated 733 scrimmage yards and scored four touchdowns in 2024. He added 173 more yards from scrimmage during the Commanders’ three playoff games. Ekeler landed on IR due to a concussion last year but returned in time for Washington’s postseason run.

Acquired by the Chargers following the 2017 draft, Ekeler has done well to craft a nine-year career out of Division II Western State (Colo.). He outlasted Melvin Gordon in Los Angeles, signing a four-year extension and eventually leading the NFL in touchdowns in both the 2021 and ’22 seasons. Ekeler attempted to secure a raise on the heels of that stretch but was unsuccessful. The Bolts let their then-starter seek a trade, but in an offseason that brought a macro RB crisis, not much interest developed. Ekeler received a minor incentive bump that year and saw an early-season ankle injury lead to a downturn, thus limiting his appeal as a 2024 UFA.

Ekeler joined a stellar collection of RBs as 2024 free agents, hitting the market at the same time Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Aaron Jones, Tony Pollard and D’Andre Swift did. Ekeler’s guarantee ($4.21MM) paled in comparison to the non-Jones contingent here, but as a vested veteran, the rest of his contract locked in this month. While Ekeler will collect the rest of his $8.43MM from the Commanders, the part-time fantasy football analyst has hit a career crossroads thanks to tonight’s development.

Following the Robinson trade and Ekeler injury, the Commanders will probably look to add at the position. The team currently rosters ninth-year veteran Jeremy McNichols and seventh-round rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt. The latter flashed against the Giants in Week 1, despite limited duty, and his presence was believed to have influenced the Commanders on the Robinson trade. While seventh-round rookies are not commonly early-season backfield contributors, Washington may have no choice but to give Croskey-Merritt a bigger role immediately.

The Commanders have also seen their Deebo Samuel trade provide good early returns. Famously referring to himself as a “wide back” in San Francisco, Samuel may also see some backfield work. If nothing else, Washington figures to heavily involve the wideout/gadget cog significantly moving forward — perhaps in dusting off his run-game skillset at points. The recent trade acquisition has logged 255 carries (counting playoffs) during his seven-year career. This included a 19-yard rushing touchdown in Week 1.

Commanders QB Jayden Daniels Underwent MRI On Knee

September 13th, 2025 at 10:51am CST by Nikhil Mehta

Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels appeared to pick up an injury on a fourth-quarter tackle during Thursday night’s game against the Packers.

He didn’t leave the field and played all 69 of Washington’s offensive snaps in the 27-18 loss. The team evaluated his knee right after the game, per 106.7 The Fan’s Grant Paulsen, followed by an MRI on Friday morning.

The testing could just be precautionary, but it’s definitely a situation worth monitoring. Further reporting on the MRI results and Daniels’ practice status next week will be more indicative of a potential absence.

The Commanders have 10 days between their Week 2 and 3 contests, giving their star quarterback plenty of time to rest his knee. Should Daniels miss any time, No. 2 QB Marcus Mariota would start in his place with journeyman Josh Johnson elevated to a backup role.

Daniels started all 17 games as a rookie in 2024 with a 91% snap share. A rib injury – later revealed to be a fracture – knocked him out of the game in Week 7, but he didn’t miss any additional time. In fact, Daniels’ award-winning Hail Mary against the Bears came in the very next game with the 2024 No. 2 pick launching the ball downfield despite the rib injury.

After losing Austin Ekeler (Achilles) and Deatrich Wise (quad) to season-ending injuries on Thursday, the Commanders will be hoping that Daniels, by far their most important player, will not need to miss any time.

Load More Posts