Devin Neal’s NFL road has taken another turn, and this time it leads to Washington.
The Washington Commanders signed the former Kansas running back to their practice squad Tuesday, giving the 2025 sixth-round pick a new landing spot just days after Minnesota let him go. The move comes after brief stops in New Orleans and with the Vikings, where Neal was trying to get back on track after injuries slowed his start to the season.
Washington had an opening in the backfield after rookie running back Kaytron Allen was claimed off waivers by Miami, and Neal stepped into the vacancy. He has not appeared in a game this season.
Neal opened his NFL career with the New Orleans Saints, where he logged 206 rushing yards on 57 carries and scored two touchdowns as a rookie. He also added 17 receptions for 104 yards over 10 games in 2025.
His rookie year ended with an ankle injury that kept him out of New Orleans’ final three games. Then a hamstring issue derailed the start of training camp, and after returning he hurt the hamstring again, leading the Saints to place him on injured reserve before ultimately releasing him with an injury settlement.
New Orleans let him go in early September. Minnesota brought him in on Sept. 30, then released him on Oct. 6.
Now Neal will try to work his way from the practice squad onto Washington’s active roster.
A product of Lawrence High, Neal is listed at 5-11 and 215 pounds and remains KU’s all-time leading rusher. He finished his Kansas career with 4,340 yards on 219 carries and 16 rushing touchdowns, plus four touchdowns as a receiver. His senior season in 2024 was a big one, too: 1,266 yards on 219 carries with 16 touchdowns in 12 games.
Tuesday also brought another Kansas connection into an NFL practice squad situation. Former KU wide receiver Luke Grimm joined the Los Angeles Chargers practice squad the same day Neal signed with Washington.
Grimm, 25, began his NFL path as an undrafted free agent with the Chargers after the 2025 NFL Draft. He survived final cuts, spent his rookie season on the practice squad and later signed a reserve/future contract, which prevented other teams from signing him during the winter and spring before offseason workouts and training camps. He was waived with an injury settlement in August.
A 6-0, 190-pound Raymore-Peculiar High School graduate, Grimm caught 177 passes at Kansas for 2,472 yards and 23 touchdowns, averaging 14 yards per catch. As a senior in 2024, he posted 51 catches for 690 yards and six touchdowns.
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