We’ve heard it before, and we’re now hearing it again; Washington Pro-Bowl right guard Brandon Scherff wishes to stay in Washington. It’s great news for fans, but does that mean that he will actually get the chance to stick around?
That’s a question that Ron Rivera and his staff will have to ask themselves this offseason when it comes time to either extend Scherff. As one of the best right guards in the NFL, he would be making top-dollar as one of the best players in the NFL at his position, or they could let him become a free agent and go on his way, undoubtedly getting a hefty deal from another team.
A third option exists, where Washington could place the franchise tag on Scherff again, which they’ve done this season, but that would be ill-advised, as it nets top-dollar for Scherff for one more year without the security of a future. However, with the injury history that Scherff has had in his career — he hasn’t played a full 16-game season since 2016, missing 19 games over that time — a tag would mitigate some of Washington’s risk in offering Scherff a long-term contract.
Regardless of what ends up happening, Scherff has been open in the past about wanting to finish his career in Washington, and he’s singing the same tune now as well.
“I would like to stay here. My wife and I love it here,” Scherff said, via NBC Sports Washington’s JP Finlay. “We love all our teammates and coaches here. I’ve always told her I want to stay where I got drafted to finish it out so I would love to stay here.”
For Washington as a franchise, there is a ton of value in Scherff, who acts as one of the veteran mainstays on the offensive front that has brought stability to the offense. Working alongside Morgan Moses and Chase Roullier, Scherff has seen the right side of Washington’s offensive line become one of the more reliable units on the team, and his presence in the locker room and on the field is something that would be sorely missed if he were removed.
“I think Brandon’s the total package,” QB Alex Smith said earlier this week, via NBC Sports Washington. “From a talent standpoint I think that he’s the best player in that position in the league, one of the best teammates I’ve ever had. It means so much to him. He’s so invested into this team. Like I said, you can feel his energy in the huddle. You certainly miss it when he’s gone. It’s significant. He’s that type of player. Not just from, like I said, a talent standpoint, but certainly his leadership, his energy, and the attitude he brings to the huddle every day.”
From a birds-eye view, Scherff has done and said all of the right things to earn himself a long-term deal in Washington, but the slight worry about injuries is something to pay attention to. The veteran RG has already missed 4 games this season with a knee injury, marking the third-straight year that he had been placed on the injured reserve at some point in the season, according to JP Finlay. On top of that, we don’t yet know how this new coaching staff operates when it comes to long-term deals. It was understandable for Rivera to hand the franchise tag to Scherff a season ago, keeping him around for long enough to get a chance to look at him up close and see if he’s worth investing in. Now that he’s gotten a good sample size, will he be convinced of the value, or hesitant of the risk?
We don’t have the answer, but it will be arguably the number one thing to watch as far as free agency goes in Washington this offseason. You can’t do anything without a solid offensive line in the NFL these days, and Rivera has a chance to keep his together.
But it’s going to come at a price.
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