Shortly after the Washington Commanders finalized their initial 53-man roster yesterday, general manager Martin Mayhew called it “very fluid.”
On separate questions about center Tyler Larsen and fullback/tight end Alex Armah, head coach Ron Rivera and Mayhew hinted at bringing both released players back.
As it turns out, the Commanders had a plan all along. On Wednesday, Washington placed second-year defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis on the short-term reserved/injured list, meaning he will miss at least the first four games of the 2023 season.
In a corresponding move, the Commanders re-signed Larsen. Armah was among the players Washington signed to its practice squad on Wednesday.
Washington is going to place DT Phidarian Mathis on short term IR per source. Intention is to bring back C Tyler Larsen.
— John Keim (@john_keim) August 30, 2023
It’s another tough break for Mathis, Washington’s second-round pick in 2022. Mathis injured his knee in Week 1 last season after playing only a few snaps and was lost for the season. In the preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns, Mathis injured his calf on the same play that defensive end Chase Young suffered a stinger.
The Commanders have arguably the NFL’s best defensive tackle duo in Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne, backed up by promising second-year DT John Ridgeway. Veterans Efe Obada and James Smith-Williams can also play inside, and the Commanders re-signed Benning Potoa’e to the practice squad.
Larsen is Washington’s third center on the roster, joining Nick Gates and Ricky Stromberg. All three can also play guard. Larsen has started games for Washington the last two seasons.