The end may finally be near for Washington Commanders long snapper Camaron Cheeseman. The 2021 sixth-round pick had three more bad snaps in Sunday’s 28-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
The first errant snap came on a punt when Cheeseman skipped the ball back to punter Tress Way. Way’s only option was to dive on the ball to prevent a possible Rams touchdown. In doing so, Way was injured and left the field to be evaluated for a concussion.
He returned.
After the Commanders scored their first touchdown, Way had another low snap that Way saved, allowing kicker Joey Slye to convert on the point after.
Finally, after Washington’s third and final touchdown, another errant snap to Los Angeles blocking the PAT and costing the Commanders a point. The earlier snap cost Washington three points.
In the locker room after the game, Cheeseman was asked if he was worried about his job. His answer was telling.
Camaron Cheeseman, on if he’s worried the Commanders will make a change at LS: “I mean, I’ve been worried all year. I haven’t been performing the way I’ve been wanting to. Most places, I probably wouldn’t be around still.”
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) December 18, 2023
That last sentence sums up the Ron Rivera era. Remember, it was Rivera and his handpicked front office that moved up in the draft to select Cheeseman in 2021. Teams rarely draft long snappers, much less move up for them. And Rivera’s outright refusal to bring in real competition for Cheeseman throughout this season is just another bad decision in a long line of bad decisions.
Washington worked out long snappers in September, but it was more of a way to have someone on standby in case Cheeseman continued to struggle. He did continue to struggle, and Rivera stayed with him.
Cheeseman has struggled since training camp, and everyone, outside of apparently Rivera, was concerned.
You have to appreciate Cheeseman’s humility here. He was honest and spoke to the media after what was a dreadful and perhaps career-changing day for him.