Commanders roster: A rookie QB makes it, and a key corner hits injured reserve

The Commanders are turning their attention to the Philadelphia Eagles for Week 1.

But, first, it was roster cut day around the league. Teams had to get down to their initial 53-man roster by 6 p.m. Sunday. Washington can tweak the roster before the opening week, including trades or claiming players off waivers.

Here are four takeaways from Washington’s cuts.

The receiving battle

The most competitive position ended up warranting extra roster spots but left out a proven veteran.

The Commanders took seven wide receivers on their initial roster, two more than they did in 2025. Luke McCaffrey and Dyami Brown both moved off the bubble and onto the roster. But former Super Bowl champion Van Jefferson was released.

Jefferson always felt like the odd man out in the receiver competition. He was a reliable route runner, but the Commanders already had several players who could win on the outside. Terry McLaurin, Washington’s top option, predominantly lines up outside. Treylon Burks and Brown fit into that category, too. Even newly signed receiver Stefon Diggs can move out there, although he spends most of his time in the slot.

Jefferson was going against McCaffrey in the final preseason game for the last roster spot. McCaffrey can return kicks and was productive early in camp. He also predominantly plays in the slot. The roster just didn’t have room for Jefferson’s skill set.

Movement on the line

To make room for the extra receiver, Washington opted for fewer offensive linemen. Typically, the Commanders take nine players for this critical position. This time they went with eight (with left tackle Laremy Tunsil headed for injured reserve Monday).

It has been trending this way for two weeks. Washington is dealing with two massive injuries with Tunsil and center Nick Allegretti. Tunsil will miss most, if not all, of the season with a torn triceps muscle. Allegretti has a calf strain that has kept him out most of training camp.

To make do, the Commanders moved Brandon Coleman to left tackle, leaving the guard spot thin. And Washington hasn’t found an answer at center in Allegretti’s absence. It tried Julian Good-Jones, but that didn’t work out. He was released Sunday. It then went to sixth-round rookie Matt Gulbin, who hasn’t fared much better.

So Washington’s plan is clearly to add a quality center and more depth after cuts.

One surprise was Tanoa Togiai, a guard, making the team. He edged out Trent Scott for the last spot.

A concerning move?

The health of Trey Amos has been top of mind in Washington all offseason. After the starting corner went out last year with a broken fibula, he wasn’t ready for the start of training camp. He returned midway through, only to sprain his ankle less than two days in. Now he is starting the season on injured reserve with a designation to return. He won’t count to the initial 53-man roster but must sit out the first four weeks.

That puts more stress on Washington’s defense to open the year. The Commanders start the season with divisional games against Philadelphia and Dallas. Then they play the Super Bowl-champion Seahawks before going to London to play the Colts.

Other battles

Seventh-round rookie Athan Kaliakmanis made the roster. It was a question at the beginning of camp whether Washington would go with two or three quarterbacks. He forced its hand to go with three.

Another camp standout, tight end Colson Yankoff, edged out more high-profile players at his position to make the team. Former New York Giant Lawrence Cager was released.

And Washington released one of its promising young receivers, Jaden Bradley. He was highly productive in three preseason games, including a one-handed catch in Detroit. Now other teams can pick him up off of waivers. If not, Washington would likely sign him to the practice squad.