Drew Stevens has already beaten long odds once this summer. Now the undrafted rookie kicker is about to find out what it feels like to do the job for real.
Stevens won Washington’s kicking battle in training camp, edging out incumbent Jake Moody for the Commanders’ roster spot. Moody has since landed with the Baltimore Ravens and is on their practice squad, while Stevens remains on an NFL roster as the 2026 season gets ready to begin next week. That alone puts him in a rare club: one of just 32 kickers on a team in the entire world.
On Wednesday in the Commanders locker room, Mitch Tischler of Monumental Sports Network asked Stevens whether he had been picturing what it will be like to run out for his first NFL game on Sept 13. Stevens didn’t pretend the moment was ordinary.
"It's fun, I mean there are only 32 guys, by the numbers, that get to do that in the whole world, for my position, explained Stevens. "It is special once you take a step back outside of being in the building and you actually realize where you are. I am very grateful to be where I am, you know?"
That gratitude has been earned the hard way. Five years ago, Stevens had no scholarship offers coming out of high school. South Carolina, Iowa, and North Carolina State each offered him a preferred walk-on opportunity, and he spent his entire freshman season in that role before Iowa eventually put him on scholarship as a sophomore.
For Stevens, none of this has come easily, and that’s exactly how he says he likes it.
"I would like to think I have worked hard to be where I am. My whole life, a walk-on, then an undrafted free agent.
Even in high school, I had to win the job. It wasn't like I was just the higher guy age-wise.
So yeah, everything is earned. I wouldn't have it any other way.
I don't think it would make me the player I am today."
His first two NFL games will be a stiff test, both on the road in the NFC East, first against Philadelphia on Sept 13 and then Dallas on Sept 20. For now, though, Stevens has already cleared the biggest hurdle: he’s the kicker in Washington, and he knows exactly how rare that is.
In Other News...
Commanders Face One Big Week 1 Problem Before Brutal Start
The early stretch of Washingtons 2026 schedule leaves little room for easing in, and the Commanders are already dealing with a familiar kind of September concern: availability. They open on the road against Philadelphia and Dallas, and the injury list has already taken a bite out of both lines, with star left tackle Laremy Tunsil and defensive tackle Johnny Newton sidelined for now.
There is some good news in the recent return of several key players to practice, including Daron Payne, Marcus Mariota, Jacory Croskey-Merritt and KLavon Chaisson. Odafe Oweh is also working back from a calf injury and is expected to be close to full practice soon, which gives Washington at least some hope that the defense can get healthier before the opener. What matters next is whether that progress comes fast enough to steady a team facing one of the leagues toughest starts right out of the gate. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Rookies Are Forcing A Bigger Week 1 Debate Than Expected
Training camp has given Washington a clearer look at its 2023 draft class, and it has also created a real conversation about how soon some of those rookies might matter. Linebacker Sonny Styles, wide receiver Antonio Williams, edge rusher Joshua Josephs and running back Kaytron Allen have all spent the summer trying to carve out roles, with the staff sorting through different levels of progress as preseason work continues.
What makes the evaluation interesting is that this does not look like a class destined for one simple label. Some of the rookies appear better suited to immediate contributions, while others may need more time before they fit into the regular-season plan, and those distinctions can shift quickly once the games start counting. For Washington, the Week 1 picture is still taking shape, and the rookies are pushing to make it a tougher decision than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Already Face A Week 1 Overreaction Nobody Needed
With Week 1 still ahead of them, the Commanders are already getting hit with the kind of sweeping judgments that can make an entire season feel decided before it starts. Several national voices have penciled Washington in last place in the NFC East for 2026, leaning on worries about left tackle Laremy Tunsils injury and questions about both lines, while also pointing to a defense that has yet to prove itself in its new form.
It is a little early for verdicts on a unit that added real resources on defense and brought in coordinator Daronte Jones to reshape that side of the ball. The offensive line has new pieces and needs time to come together, and the pressure only grows from there because head coach Dan Quinn is being viewed through the lens of a fast start or a fast decline, which makes every early prediction feel a lot louder than it should be. [Read more 🡒]