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Commanders Activate Jonathan Allen Off IR

December 28th, 2024 at 4:48pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Commanders have activated defensive tackle Jonathan Allen from injured reserve, per a team announcement.

Allen landed on IR in October after a pectoral injury that was originally thought to be season-ending. Optimism grew after doctors discovered during surgery that his pectoral was only partially torn. He was able to return to practice on December 18, giving him enough time to ramp up and return to the field before the end of the season.

The two-time Pro Bowler was off to a slightly slower start than previous years, notching just 15 tackles and 2.0 sacks in his first six games. Washington’s run defense still suffered without him; the Commanders have surrendered 2,061 rushing yards so far this season, the fifth-most in the NFL.

Washington has relied on two recent second-round picks – Phidarian Mathis and Jer’Zhan Newton – to fill the void left by Allen’s absence. The Commanders waived Mathis earlier on Saturday, signaling that Allen would soon be headed back to the active roster. He will rejoin fellow Pro Bowler Daron Payne on the interior of Washington’s defensive line. Payne has started all 15 games, though his 68% snap share is a career-low.

Allen and Payne will hope to anchor the Commanders defense against the Falcons on Sunday night. A win would clinch Washington’s first playoff appearance since 2020, an impressive outcome after an organizational overhaul resulted in a new owner, head coach, and rookie quarterback.

Commanders Waive DL Phidarian Mathis

December 28th, 2024 at 12:34pm CST by Ben Levine

The Commanders are moving on from a former second-round pick. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the team is waiving defensive lineman Phidarian Mathis. Rapoport hints that the third-year player has a chance of catching on with a new squad via the waiver wire.

The Alabama product was selected with the 47th-overall pick in the 2022 draft. He suffered a torn meniscus in his NFL debut that kept him off the field for most of his rookie campaign. A calf injury forced him out of the lineup for the start of his sophomore season, and he got into about a third of his team’s defensive snaps once he returned in October.

Mathis saw a similar role in 2024, appearing in 257 defensive snaps in 12 appearances. When Jonathan Allen went down with an injury, Mathis initially saw an uptick in snaps opposite Daron Payne or Jer’Zhan Newton. However, Mathis has been inactive for each of the past three games, with the likes of Sheldon Day, Jalyn Holmes, and Carl Davis earning snaps at defensive tackle.

This move could ultimately be a precursor to the Commanders activating Allen from IR. The veteran has been working his way back from a pectoral injury suffered in mid-October. Allen returned to practice earlier this month and was a full participant this week.

Commanders DT Jonathan Allen To Return To Practice

December 18th, 2024 at 11:21am CST by Sam Robinson

Jonathan Allen had suffered a pectoral injury that was slated to end his season, but last week brought a positive development on this front. An Allen return became possible; a few days later, the Commanders will see their longest-tenured defender back at work.

Washington will have Allen at practice today, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, marking the start of his 21-day activation window. The eighth-year defensive tackle has been out since suffering the pectoral injury in Week 6. Allen only suffering a partially torn pec, as opposed to the initially feared full tear, will allow for this return.

This season marks a rarity for Allen, whose only playoff berth came as part of a 7-9 2020 team. Washington potentially going through another rebuild brought hesitation from Allen, who then landed in trade rumors. The Commanders held onto the former first-round pick this offseason and appear close to again pairing him with longtime teammate (in Washington and at Alabama) Daron Payne.

The Commanders, who sit 9-5 after holding off the Saints, have Allen on what now looks like a team-friendly contract. The team paid the quality D-tackle in 2021, authorizing a four-year, $72MM deal. That contract runs through next season. Unlike Payne, Washington made Allen a priority before his contract year. Payne, however, benefited from playing out his by then being franchise-tagged and signed to a then-top-market pact (four years, $90MM). He and Allen are poised to reform one of the NFL’s top DT duos.

Allen, 29, has produced at least six sacks in four seasons. He was productive before and during the Montez Sweat–Chase Young era, doing well to help Washington compensate for the latter’s long-running injury hiatus. Allen reached a career-high nine sacks and 30 QB hits in 2021, making the Pro Bowl that season and again in 2022. Payne, 27, joined him that year but has only totaled seven QB hits (to go with four sacks) this season. Allen had already reached six hits (two sacks) before his injury.

Retooling around several new arrivals, the Commanders have seen Dante Fowler (8.5 sacks) and Frankie Luvu (eight) spearhead their pass rush. Allen and Payne arrived during Bruce Allen‘s time running the team, with the Dan Quinn-Adam Peters duo the third regime to stop by during the DTs’ tenure. It will certainly stand to help the Commanders’ chances to make the playoffs once Allen returns; barring a setback, that figures to come soon.

Commanders DT Jonathan Allen Hoping To Return In 2024

December 14th, 2024 at 11:39am CST by Ben Levine

Jonathan Allen‘s pectoral injury was once deemed season-ending, but the Commanders defensive lineman is still hoping to return in 2024. According to ESPN’s John Keim, Allen “has not abandoned hope” that he can return this season.

[RELATED: Commanders DT Jonathan Allen Suffers Season-Ending Pectoral Injury]

The veteran suffered his pectoral injury back in November, but there was some good news during his subsequent surgery. While it was initially believed that Allen tore his muscle, Keim notes that doctors discovered that Allen’s pectoral muscle was only partially torn. While Allen eventually landed on IR, there was growing hope that he could return for the stretch run of the 2024 campaign. Keim adds that later checkups helped maintain optimism that Allen could play again this season.

In anticipation of a potential return, the defensive lineman has been recently working out at team facilities with a hope of returning before the end of December. Keim writes that Allen would have to prove that he’s “regained all his strength” before he’d be allowed back on the field.

The 2017 first-round pick has spent his entire career in Washington, earning a pair of Pro Bowl nods while transforming into one of the organization’s top defenders. After collecting 22 sacks and 22 QB hits between 2021 and 2023, Allen was continuing to produce in 2024, collected a pair of sacks and six QB hits through six games. The 29-year-old is on the books through 2025 (although none of his 15.5MM base salary for that year is guaranteed). With the organization also invested in Daron Payne and used a pair of recent second-round picks at the position (Phidarian Mathis, Jer’Zhan Newton), leading some teams to sniff around last offseason about a potential Allen trade.

With Allen out of the lineup, Mathis and Newton have basically split snaps playing next to Payne. Sheldon Day and Jalyn Holmes also saw an uptick in playing time when Allen went down with an injury. Mathis was a healthy scratch back in Week 13, so the team wouldn’t have any difficult decisions to make if Allen returns.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/16/24

October 16th, 2024 at 7:56pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Los Angeles Rams

Philadelphia Eagles

Washington Commanders

A number of players returned to practice today, designating their return from injured reserve. This means teams will have 21 days to activate the players from IR to the active roster.

Noteboom is the most notable name, as the veteran has spent his entire career in Los Angeles. The former third-round pick has settled into a versatile sixth OL for the Rams, starting 32 of his 68 appearances. The lineman started Week 1 but only played in about one third of his team’s offense snaps before suffering an ankle injury.

Commanders DT Jonathan Allen Suffers Season-Ending Pectoral Injury

October 14th, 2024 at 1:21pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Commanders fell to 4-2 on Sunday, and their defense may have been dealt a major blow in the process. Jonathan Allen is feared to have suffered a pectoral injury which would require season-ending surgery, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports.

A second opinion is being sought out before a final decision is made, Pelissero adds. If the surgery is deemed necessary, however, Allen’s absence will create a major vacancy along the defensive line. The two-time Pro Bowler has been a full-time starter throughout his Washington tenure, including the 2024 season which was preceded by a number of changes on the field and the sidelines. Allen has indeed torn his left pec, an MRI confirmed (h/t ESPN’s John Keim).  

The former first-rounder has spent his entire eight-year career in the nation’s capital, a tenure which has not yielded much in the way of team success. Allen – who has posted at least 5.5 sacks in a season five times – made it clear last December he was not interested in being part of a rebuild. The Commanders are in the midst of that process, but its early returns under general manager Adam Peters, head coach Dan Quinn and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has produced encouraging results. Allen recorded 15 tackles along with a pair of sacks before suffering his first major injury since 2017.

Washington has invested heavily along the defensive interior recently, with Allen being joined by Daron Payne in terms of receiving a lucrative contract. Allen, 29, is on the books through 2025 (although none of his 15.5MM base salary for that year is guaranteed). On the radar of teams looking to acquire him via trade this offseason, he will now see his value take a hit as his attention turns to a lengthy rehab process. Payne, meanwhile, will continue to be counted on as a starter moving forward.

The Commanders selected Phidarian Mathis in the second round of the 2022 draft, but he has yet to start a game in his career. His 2024 snap share (34%) marks a career high, however, and that figure could stand to increase with Allen no longer in the fold. Second-round rookie Jer’Zhan Newton has handled a similar workload in his five appearances this year. He too should be expected to feature more often in Washington’s rotation up front over the remainder of the campaign.

The division-leading Commanders have posted middling numbers in a number of categories this year. Improving on that side of the ball will be key over the coming months, but without Allen available that effort will be a challenge along the D-line in particular.

Commanders Notes: Kingsbury, Stokes, Staff, Newton, Allen, Sainristil

May 9th, 2024 at 5:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Commanders did not end up zagging with their No. 2 overall pick. The team received only one offer — likely from the Raiders — for the selection, and the team went with Heisman winner Jayden Daniels. In reaching a conclusion Daniels was the top player at No. 2, Adam Peters kept his circle small. Only Josh Harris, Dan Quinn and advisor/ex-Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers comprised the new Washington football ops boss’ inner circle, per Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano, who adds OC Kliff Kingsbury was brought in along the way and at least knew which way the new team braintrust was leaning.

Kingsbury, who coached Caleb Williams last year, was believed to be high on Daniels coming in. Many in the organization — including members of Harris’ ownership group — were not informed which player the team was picking until draft day, Vacchiano adds. Much of the front office and scouting department did not learn definitively it would be Daniels until the Bears went on the clock. While Harris was believed to be more involved than expected, the franchise had dealt with considerable Dan Snyder meddling in past drafts. Given the turmoil associated with Washington ownership and front office for much of the past two decades, this buttoned-up approach marked a change of pace.

Here is the latest out of Washington:

  • Retooling teams often make changes after the draft, as continuity in scouting departments is preferred due to the work done on draft classes in the months prior. The Commanders will make a key change. They are not renewing the contract of senior director of player personnel Eric Stokes, InsidetheLeague.com’s Neil Stratton tweets. Stokes joined the Commanders in 2020, following Ron Rivera‘s arrival, and moved to his most recent title in 2021. The veteran exec should land elsewhere soon, with Stratton adding he his a name to watch in scouting circles. This exit comes after Peters retained Rivera-era bastions Martin Mayhew, who worked with the current Commanders FO boss in San Francisco, and Marty Hurney.
  • Peters said earlier this offseason the team is not planning to trade Jonathan Allen, but ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes some around the league are wondering if the selection of Jer’Zhan Newton will prompt the team to listen on the veteran defensive tackle. Washington, which disbanded its DE contingent at the trade deadline, still has two high-priced DTs — in Allen and Daron Payne — and has used second-round picks on the position in 2022 and ’24. Phidarian Mathis played 203 defensive snaps last season but has yet to make much of an impact; Newton now joins him and does so as a Peters-Quinn-era draftee. Allen, who said last year he was not eager to be part of a rebuild, has come up in trade rumors before and is due base salaries of $14MM and $15.5MM over the next two years.
  • One of the three second-rounders the Commanders chose, Mike Sainristil is expected to begin his NFL run in the slot. Washington is planning to train the Michigan product as an inside cornerback, ESPN.com’s John Keim notes. He will accompany Benjamin St-Juste, 2023 first-rounder Emmanuel Forbes and UFA addition Michael Davis at the position. The Commanders, who lost Kendall Fuller and Kamren Curl from their secondary, will attempt to climb back from a last-place defensive finish.
  • The team will hire a longtime league office exec to be part of its staff. Dave Gardi will come over after 10 years as NFL VP of football operations to take on the title of Commanders senior VP of football initiatives. In-game management and assisting the coaching staff in terms of compliance with NFL protocols will be among Gardi’s duties in Washington, with the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala offering that Gardi will be on headsets during games and concentrate on the coaching side during the season. That will certainly be a shift for a longtime league office staffer.

Commanders GM: Team Not Interested In Trading DT Jonathan Allen

March 26th, 2024 at 2:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jonathan Allen has expressed hesitancy about being part of another Washington rebuild. The standout defensive tackle may not have a choice.

Although the Commanders have a new head coach and football ops boss in place, the Dan Quinn–Adam Peters regime appears prepared to go into the season with Allen in place at his defensive tackle post. Peters said this week (via Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano) the team is not interested in a trade. Only Tress Way has been with the franchise longer than Allen, who is going into his eighth season.

The Commanders have Allen on what has become a team-friendly deal. Since Allen agreed to his four-year, $72MM extension in 2021, the D-tackle market has seen multiple waves adjust its contract hierarchy. Although no one approached Aaron Donald‘s $31.7MM-per-year deal while he was still active, Daron Payne‘s $22.5MM-per-year contract started the formation of a second tier on that market. The subsequent deals for Dexter Lawrence, Jeffery Simmons and Quinnen Williams preceded this year’s monster contracts handed to Chris Jones, Christian Wilkins and Justin Madubuike.

The activity on this market over the past three offseasons has dropped Allen to 12th at the position in terms of AAV. With the 2017 first-round pick signed through 2025, it can be expected he will be asked to play another season on this deal — if, in fact, he remains a Commander going into the season.

Teams asked about Allen before last year’s deadline, but Ron Rivera and Co. did not move either of their D-tackle pieces; they instead traded both their defensive ends. Rivera and other staffers did not want to give up Montez Sweat, but ownership is widely believed to have played a role in the team moving on from both its top DEs last fall.

It would be interesting to see if Josh Harris would step in on the Allen front, but considering he just hired Peters to run football ops, another such intervention would surprise. Allen is coming off a 5.5-sack season, though he totaled more QB hits (19) compared to his 7.5-sack 2022. Allen, 29, has registered 22 sacks over the past three seasons, helping a D-line compensate for Chase Young‘s injury trouble.

Washington would seem to still have an opening opposite ex-Quinn Dallas disciple Dorance Armstrong at defensive end, though fellow ex-Quinn Cowboys charge Dante Fowler and Clelin Ferrell could conceivably compete for the other starting job. But Allen staying keeps D-tackle as a team strength. Former second-round pick Phidarian Mathis joins Allen and Payne inside. A big offer could change the Commanders’ mind here, as this regime is inheriting the Rivera-era extension, and Allen could be a name to watch at the deadline come November. For now, however, the oldest of the team’s three ex-Alabama DTs is staying put.

NFC Notes: Gannon, Allen, Campbell, Saints

December 29th, 2023 at 5:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jonathan Gannon‘s Eagles exit brought a tampering penalty against the Cardinals, who made impermissible contact with their new head coach during the offseason. New Arizona GM Monti Ossenfort reached out to Gannon shortly after the NFC championship game, after the two-year Eagles DC expressed a desire to stay in Philadelphia. Gannon did not tell the Eagles about Ossenfort’s pre-Super Bowl call or his intention to interview with the Cardinals, according to ESPN.com’s Tim McManus. This affected Philly’s timing regarding Vic Fangio, who was perhaps this offseason’s most coveted coordinator.

A consultant with the Eagles last season, Fangio was well-liked and became the team’s choice to succeed Gannon as DC. Fangio all but confirmed the timing involving Gannon led him out of town. Before Super Bowl LVII, the Eagles had expected to retain Gannon, McManus adds. When Ossenfort was in Tennessee, he put Gannon’s name on a short list of possible HCs — in the event he landed a GM job. A Jan. 29 report indicated Fangio would accept the Dolphins’ DC offer; he was officially hired Feb. 2. The Cardinals’ Gannon interview request did not emerge until Feb. 12. By that point, the Eagles were aiming to retain Gannon after Fangio had bolted. With the Eagles having demoted their new DC — Sean Desai — and given Matt Patricia play-calling duties, Gannon’s Philly return this week will be interesting.

Here is the latest from the NFC:

  • Listing Jonathan Allen as a player he expects to be traded during the 2024 offseason, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the Commanders defensive tackle is not eager to go through another rebuild. Allen made his views on that matter fairly well known recently, after the team traded Montez Sweat and Chase Young. A losing streak commenced soon after, and Ron Rivera and Martin Mayhew are expected to be fired. Teams asked about Allen at the deadline, and while the Commanders resisted, new owner Josh Harris‘ involvement in the Sweat and Young deals showed an openness to stockpiling draft capital. Allen’s four-year, $72MM extension runs through 2025. It would cost Washington $18MM in dead money to trade Allen before June 1, so it would stand to take a nice offer to pry the seventh-year veteran from D.C.
  • The Giants have phased Parris Campbell out of their receiver rotation, going as far as to make him a healthy scratch in each of the past three games. Campbell signed a one-year, $4.7MM deal in free agency, with The Athletic’s Dan Duggan noting he is losing out on $100K per-game roster bonuses with these scratches. As the Giants emphasize bigger roles for younger wideouts Wan’Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt, Campbell is preparing to leave in free agency come March. “When I came here, did I think things would be different? Of course,” Campbell said, via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy. “… During free agency, the market was kind of slow for receivers, but the Giants gave me an opportunity — and that’s all I want. This coming offseason, whoever is interested in me and wants to give me an opportunity, I’ll take it.” After three injury-plagued seasons, Campbell has stayed mostly healthy over his past two. The ex-Colts second-rounder, however, has 20 receptions for just 104 yards this year.
  • It is unlikely Marshon Lattimore and Michael Thomas return this season, NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill tweets. Lattimore suffered a significant ankle injury and has missed the past five Saints games. Thomas stayed healthier this year than he has since the 2010s, but the former All-Pro wideout has also missed New Orleans’ past five contests. Thomas, who may well be in his final weeks as a Saint, is down with a knee injury.
  • Six teams put in waiver claims on linebacker Christian Elliss, per the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane. The Patriots won out. Had Elliss not garnered any claims, the Eagles wanted to bring him back on their practice squad. A 2021 Eagles UDFA, Elliss had led the team in special teams snaps at the time of his exit earlier this month.

DT Jonathan Allen Addresses Commanders Future

December 4th, 2023 at 11:02am CST by Adam La Rose

The Commanders’ defensive front saw major changes made this season with Montez Sweat and Chase Young dealt at the trade deadline. The team still has a pair of former first-rounders along the D-line in defensive tackles Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen, however.

The former was one of several DTs to land lucrative second contracts this offseason, inking a four-year, $90MM deal. That has him on the books for the foreseeable future, but the same is not the case for Allen. He is under contract for 2024 and ’25, but no guaranteed salary exists on his pact for those two seasons. Moving on from the 28-year-old via trade or a post-June 1 release could thus yield cap savings and clear one of the team’s top cap hits for the near future.

Notably, Washington made it clear no trade offers for Allen would be considered this fall. The Commanders were willing to part ways with Sweat and, after lowering their asking price, Young in lieu of signing one or both to new deals in the offseason. That is not a concern for Payne or Allen, but the latter’s latest remarks on the state of the franchise suggest he would be willing to depart the nation’s capital.

When asked about whether he has contemplated playing on another team during an appearance on 106.7 The Fan, Allen said, “1000%. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t. I play this game to win and I would love to win here for sure but I want to win first and foremost. So that’s always going to be at the front and center of my mind and everything I’m going to be doing in my career is going to make sure I’ll have an opportunity to win” (h/t Grant Paulsen of NBC Sports Washington).

The Commanders recently moved on from defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, and head coach Ron Rivera is widely expected to be replaced this offseason. Those changes could bring about an uptick in on-field performance for Washington, but a transition period under new owner Josh Harris could very well result in at least a brief rebuilding phase. In that case, it would be interesting to see how the team would proceed with Allen.

The two-time Pro Bowler has posted 5.5 sacks this season, putting him on pace to finish near his career-best output of nine in that regard in 2021. Allen has added nine tackles for loss, meaning he will likely reach double-digits for the fourth time in his career. He would carry signficant value for interested teams in terms of performance, but his contract would be a burden for an acquiring team.

Allen is set to carry cap hits of $21.5MM and $23MM over the next two seasons, figures which would make his pact difficult to move. Nevertheless, the Commanders are on track to miss the postseason for the sixth time in Allen’s seven years in Washington. His willingness to remain with the franchise in 2024 and beyond will be a key storyline for the transitioning team this offseason.

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