More turnover at safety will be on tap for the Redskins, with Field Yates of ESPN.com reporting (via Twitter) the team is placing Donte Whitner on IR.
Washington re-signed safety Josh Evans as a result of this move, reuniting after cutting the depth piece earlier this season. Whitner initially reached an agreement with the Redskins in October and played in 11 games for the team, starting nine, after a lengthy stay in free agency.
It’s a quadriceps injury that will end Whitner’s season and send him back to the UFA market.
The former Bills, 49ers and Browns cog received extensive interest as a UFA but opted to wait for a more attractive offer. However, he ended up signing a one-year deal for just $985K. Despite signing in October, Whitner became a key member of the Redskins’ secondary, one that now has Will Blackmon and Duke Ihenacho as its surefire starters going into a must-win Week 17 game against the Giants.
The 31-year-old back-line defender made 66 tackles and forced a fumble this season, his 11th in the league. Washington has seen much turnover at safety in 2016, cutting David Bruton after signing him to a three-year deal, placing DeAngelo Hall on IR, and determining Kyshoen Jarrett‘s injury was too severe for their liking. This could trigger the team to also move Su’a Cravens to safety, where the USC standout could reside long-term. Although, the Redskins may wait until the offseason to make that move for developmental purposes.
Initially a sixth-round Jaguars pick in 2013 who started for three seasons in north Florida, Evans caught on with the Redskins and played two games for the team earlier this season. He will now be looked to as a backup option again.