James

Washington

The Athletic’s Josh Kendall adds that the transaction was completed to make room for recent free agent-signee S Justin Simmons. Washington’s release bodes positively for journeyman WR Chris Blair, whose four explosive, 15-plus-yard pass plays through two preseason games tie for the league lead among NFL preseason pass-catchers. Washington played on 40 offensive snaps in two preseason games and failed to haul in either of his two targets. He hasn’t taken a regular-season snap since 2022 and hasn’t recorded a catch since 2021. It’s fair to wonder if his time in the league is close to up.

Washington hasn’t played a regular-season snap since 2022. The former second-round pick was on a solid trajectory early in his career after going for 44-735-3 in his second year in the league. Unfortunately, he caught just 30 passes for 392 yards in his third season, and in 2022, while with the Cowboys, he suffered a foot fracture that limited him to just two games. Now, Washington joins a relatively thin wide receiver room in Atlanta. Drake London and Darnell Mooney are entrenched as the team’s top two options, but things get pretty dicey after that. Depending on how many receivers they keep, it’s possible Washington will stick as a WR5 or WR6.

Washington was an unsigned free agent for 2023 after playing in two games for the Cowboys in 2022. He suffered a Jones fracture with the Cowboys and bounced around several teams since then, not seeing any playing time with them. In four seasons as a Steeler, Washington caught 114 passes for 1,629 yards and 11 touchdowns. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports Washington has received multiple inquiries from teams and may be trying out for them soon.

Washington joined the Colts just 10 days ago but is now back on the open market. The former Steelers and Cowboys receiver has struggled since signing a one-year deal with the Cowboys last offseason. He suffered a fractured foot in training camp last year and was released from the team in early January. Since then, he’s bounced around with the Giants, Saints, and Colts but hasn’t seen any significant playing team with either team. Washington totaled 114 receptions for 1,629 yards and 11 touchdowns in four seasons with the Steelers but will face an uphill battle to land on a 53-man roster before the start of this season.

Defensive end Gendard Avery was placed on injured reserve in a corresponding move. Washington signed with the Cowboys last year but was waived just before the season ended. He was out for most of the season because of a foot injury and did not record a reception with the team. He briefly joined a depleted Giants roster during the playoffs. The Saints signed him this offseason but cut him a few weeks into training camp. After being passed over by multiple teams in the past year, it could be an uphill battle for Washington to make the Colts’ final roster.

The news comes just days after rookie A.T. Perry’s preseason eruption. With Perry’s emergence and a healthy wide receiver room for the first time in three seasons, the Saints move forward with Michael Thomas, Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and Perry atop their depth chart.

Washington spent the majority of last season with the Cowboys, battling a foot injury he suffered in the preseason before returning to the field for two games while failing to register a catch. The former second-round pick served as a deep threat for the Steelers early in his career and appeared to be on the verge of a breakout in 2020 after going for 44-735-3 in his second season. After a lost 2022, Washington now has a chance to earn a role as a deep threat for the Saints, but unlikely to be anything more than added depth at this point.

A foot injury kept Washington out for most of the 2022 season with Dallas, and he was waived late in the season and brought on to the Giants practice squad. There has been no recorded public interest in him. When healthy, Washington was a burner for the Steelers. He’d likely fill a similar role for the Saints.

Washington did not catch a pass in two games with Dallas this season before being waived on January 4. Fully recovered from a foot injury he sustained in the preseason, Washington joins the playoff-bound Giants, a team not exactly bursting with wide receiver depth. He likely won’t make the active roster in the postseason.

Washington, who missed most of the regular season with a foot injury, was active for two games and did not record a reception. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said T.Y. Hilton’s emergence as a WR3 option for Dallas made the team comfortable with waiving Washington. Hilton in Week 17 against the Titans had four catches for 50 yards. Washington, 26, will surely land elsewhere in 2023.