The Commanders got a jolt on Tuesday morning when veteran cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon was moved to the reserve/retired list. The news was especially unexpected because the 31-year-old had been on the practice field Monday for the first day in pads.
Washington brought Witherspoon in back in March, and now his departure opens the door for another familiar face. In a corresponding move, the Commanders signed Fabian Moreau, a former Redskins third-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Witherspoon was a third-round pick in that same draft, which adds a strange little symmetry to the swap.
Witherspoon’s NFL path has taken him through several stops. He began his career with the San Francisco 49ers, spending his first four seasons there while general manager Adam Peters was the team’s vice president of player personnel.
In 2021, he signed a one-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks, then got traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers just before Week 1. Pittsburgh later brought him back on a two-year contract, but he was released after the 2022 season.
After that, he landed with the Los Angeles Rams on a one-year deal and remained there for the next two seasons.
Over his career, Witherspoon played in 96 games and made 64 starts. He finished with 243 tackles and 13 interceptions.
His retirement changes the picture at corner for Washington. Witherspoon had been viewed as one of five corners projected to be on the Commanders’ 53-man roster, alongside Mike Sainristil, Trey Amos, Amik Robertson and recently signed Rasul Douglas.
In Other News...
Commanders Camp Is Starting To Reveal Help At One Key Spot
The first week of Commanders training camp offered a useful glimpse at how quickly the offense and defense are settling in, even before the pads come on. With three non-padded practices and a walkthrough in the books, defensive coordinator Daronte Jones has already spent plenty of time giving Jayden Daniels different looks, forcing the young quarterback to process, adjust and keep learning on the fly.
Several players have stood out in the early going, including running back Rachaad White and edge rusher Odafe Oweh, while the center spot has become one of the quieter areas worth watching. Injuries and thin depth have put added pressure on that group, and Washington has already started looking for answers as camp moves into a more physical stretch beginning Monday. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Quinns Latest Camp Update Put Several Commanders Jobs In Focus
Day 5 of Commanders training camp brought a familiar mix of installation, evaluation and depth-chart sorting, with Dan Quinn using his latest media session to walk through where things stand as Washington keeps shaping practice and player roles. He addressed the recent addition of Fabian Moreau, offered praise for linebacker Leo Chenal and edge rusher Odafe Oweh, and touched on the ongoing battle at left guard while also sizing up the early progress of the rookies.
The bigger picture is how much of the offense and the roster is still in motion, with Quinn outlining changes to the way the unit wants to function and hinting at how the coaching staff is sorting out responsibility across the lineup. There are still jobs to be won and pecking orders to be settled, and the way Quinn framed the week made it clear that several of those decisions are already taking shape even if the final answers are not. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Homecoming Trend Comes With Pressure Fans Can Already Feel
For NFL players with hometown ties, the idea of suiting up close to home can sound like the perfect fit until the day-to-day realities start to show up. The Commanders have plenty of that kind of pull in their orbit, with local connections like Nick Cross and Stefon Diggs making the conversation feel especially relevant around Washington, where family, familiarity and football all overlap in a way few other markets can match.
But living and playing in the same place where you grew up can also sharpen every misstep, every decision and every result. Chase Youngs experience offered a reminder that being the hometown player comes with a different kind of spotlight, one shaped as much by personal expectations as by what happens on the field, and it leaves the Commanders in that familiar tension of wondering whether the comfort of home can ever fully offset the pressure that comes with it. [Read more 🡒]