Commanders open 21-day practice window for DT Phidarian Mathis

Mathis has missed 23 out of a possible 24 games early in his NFL career.

The Washington Commanders could soon be adding more defensive tackle depth behind Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne and John Ridgeway.

Washington opened its 21-day practice window for second-year defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis on Wednesday, meaning the Commanders have that time to either activate him or place him on season-ending injured reserve.

The 2022 second-round pick played three snaps in the season opener last year before injuring his knee and was lost for the season. Just before the season began this year, Mathis, along with fellow defensive lineman Efe Obada, was placed on short-term IR. Obada returned two weeks ago but hasn’t played a ton.

Washington has used veteran Abdullah Anderson as the third defensive tackle this season behind Allen, Payne and Ridgeway. Ridgeway, a second-year player like Mathis, has impressed.

Mathis has already missed 23 out of a possible 24 games in his young career. He practiced fully on Wednesday, so, much like Obada two weeks ago, Mathis is trending toward being active for Week 8 vs. the Eagles.

Commanders defensive tackle John Ridgeway unable to participate in OTAs

Ridgeway is still rehabbing from an injury in Week 18.

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The Washington Commanders were preparing for life after defensive tackle Daron Payne in the 2022 NFL draft when they selected Phidarian Mathis in the second round.

Unfortunately, Mathis injured his knee in Week 1 last season, leading the Commanders to scour the waiver wire searching for a replacement. Fortunately, Washington claimed John Ridgeway off waivers from the Dallas Cowboys ahead of Week 2. Ridgeway would replace Mathis behind Jonathan Allen and Payne, becoming a key rotational piece for the foreseeable future.

Even better, Ridgeway was a fifth-round pick of Dallas in 2022, meaning Washington claimed his rookie contract. Now, with Allen and Payne signed for multiple years, the Commanders have an excellent pair of young interior defenders in Mathis and Ridgeway.

With the Commanders opening OTAs earlier this week, both players were still not back on the field. Mathis is back — and healthy. But Ridgeway was unable to participate due to a pectoral injury he suffered in the Week 18 win over Dallas.

Ridgeway is still rehabbing from his injury, and the hope is he’ll be ready for training camp in July.

Ridgeway quietly did an outstanding job last season and is best remembered for two plays. The penalty at the end of the game against the Minnesota Vikings on special teams and his suplex against the Houston Texans.

Those plays overshadowed a good first season in the burgundy and gold for Ridgeway. Before the injury against the Cowboys, Ridgeway was dominating Dallas’ offensive line.

Commanders defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis fully healthy as OTAs begin

Second-year defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis is healthy, giving the Commanders impressive depth on the defensive interior.

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Remember when the Washington Commanders drafted former Alabama defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft to eventually replace Daron Payne after he left as a free agent in 2023?

That’s how things were supposed to go, right?

Unfortunately for Mathis, he injured his knee in Week 1 of the 2022 season and was lost for the season. His rookie season ended after just three defensive snaps and one snap on special teams. Washington, scrambling for depth, claimed defensive tackle John Ridgeway off waivers from the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 19.

So, the day after Washington’s Week 2 loss at Detroit, they had found a replacement for Mathis in the rotation. The Cowboys tried to sneak Ridgeway to the practice squad, waiving him ahead of Week 2, but the Commanders wisely paid attention and claimed Ridgeway. He would become an integral part of Washington’s tackle rotation.

But it was Payne who was the story in 2022. The former 2018 first-round pick was playing on his fifth-year option and had the best season of his career. Payne set career-highs in tackles, tackles for loss and sacks, and tied Dave Butz’s record for single-season sacks by an interior defensive lineman with 11.5.

Payne made the Pro Bowl, along with fellow defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, and earned a four-year, $90 million contract from the Commanders in March.

Washington previously locked up Allen with a four-year contract in the summer of 2021.

The Commanders began OTAs Tuesday, and Mathis was back on the field, healthy, alongside Allen, Payne and Ridgeway. Zach Selby of commanders.com noted Mathis didn’t appear restricted at all.

Phidarian Mathis, who missed basically all of his rookie season with an injury, was back on the field and working with the second defensive group behind Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen. Per NFL rules, there was little contact between groups, but Mathis did not look bothered by his knee as he bull rushed offensive linemen on his way to the quarterback. The Commanders were excited about what Mathis could add to the front before he got hurt against the Jacksonville Jaguars, so having him back in the fold is an encouraging sign.

While Washington could have a crisis on its hands at defensive end in 2024 with its top five players on the depth chart slated for free agency, there are no such worries at defensive tackle. The Commanders’ depth on the interior is among the best — if not the best — in the NFL.

It’s certainly good to see Mathis back in the fold for Washington.

Commanders DT Phidarian Mathis making ‘great progress’ in return from knee injury

The Commanders have two talented young defensive tackles behind Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne in Phidarian Mathis and John Ridgeway.

The Washington Commanders selected Alabama defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft. Most believed Mathis was an eventual replacement for Daron Payne, who was scheduled to be a free agent in the 2023 offseason.

It didn’t help that there was the report around draft time that said the Commanders weren’t expected to offer Payne a long-term extension.

Do you think they regret that decision now?

Payne, only 25, is coming off a breakout season in which he tied the franchise record of 11.5 sacks by a defensive tackle and also finished No. 4 in the NFL in tackles for loss [18].

Meanwhile, Mathis injured his knee in the season opener against Jacksonville and was lost for the season. This was particularly troubling as the Commanders allowed Tim Settle to leave via free agency and cut Matt Ioannidis in a salary-cap move.

Fortunately for Washington, the Dallas Cowboys waived fifth-round pick John Ridgeway and the Commanders signed him to their active roster. The Cowboys were hoping to sneak him to the practice squad.

Ridgeway would prove to be a smart addition for Washington, spelling Payne and Jonathan Allen in 2022. The good news is that he and Mathis are under contract for the next three seasons on rookie deals.

What about Mathis’ injury?

It sure sounds like the 6-foot-4, 313-pounder is on the right track.

“I’ve been here the whole time,” Mathis said, per Zach Selby of commanders.com. “I trust the trainers in there. We’ve been making great progress.”

In spending the season rehabbing in Ashburn, Mathis said Washington’s training staff has been outstanding, helping him recover faster than he initially believed.

Mathis struggled after the injury, knowing he’d miss his entire rookie season after only a handful of plays. 

“It was very hard to take, a tough pill to swallow, for sure,” Mathis said. “The first couple of weeks, I was down, I was out, but I just put it in God’s hands and let him handle the rest.”

Depending on what happens with Payne, Mathis could be counted upon heavily in 2023. It’s something he’s ready for. 

“I’m gonna give it another try next year,” Mathis said. “I’m gonna come back even harder.”

Having Mathis and Ridgeway is good news for Washington — with or without Payne. Of course, Washington hopes Payne is back, but if he isn’t, the Commanders have two young defensive tackles ready for the opportunity.

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Commanders defensive tackle John Ridgeway tore a pec in win over Cowboys

The promising rookie defensive tackle will have several months of rehab ahead of him.

The Washington Commanders hoped to head into the offseason after Sunday’s win over the Dallas Cowboys with no major injuries. The Commanders placed several players on injured reserve or sat others dealing with an injury ahead of Sunday, giving multiple young players some extended playing time.

One of those young players was rookie defensive tackle John Ridgeway. The 6-foot-5, 322-pound rookie from Arkansas was a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft by the Cowboys, who later released him, hoping to sneak him to the practice squad, but the Commander wisely claimed him and his rookie contract.

Ridgeway would prove to be a shrewd acquisition, appearing in 15 games for the Commanders, making four starts. He replaced Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jonathan Allen in the lineup Sunday and was off to a dominant start.

In 13 snaps, Ridgeway made five tackles. He was manhandling Dallas’ interior offensive line. Unfortunately, Ridgeway wasn’t able to finish the game, leaving in the second quarter.

On Monday, John Keim of ESPN revealed the bad news. Ridgeway suffered a torn pectoral muscle and now faces several months of rehabilitation.

The good news is Ridgeway should be ready for training camp in July.

To give you an indication of how dominant Ridgeway was on Sunday, watch No. 91 in these clips.

The Commanders found a gem in Ridgeway.

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5 young Commanders with something to prove in Week 18 vs. Cowboys

We name five young players to watch in the season finale against the Cowboys.

From the moment the Green Bay Packers defeated the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday, the Washington Commanders were moving on to 2023.

As a result of their embarrassing loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 17, the Commanders were officially eliminated from playoff contention once the Packers took care of the Vikings. What a difference a month makes. On Nov. 27, the Commanders were 7-5 and sitting pretty in the NFC playoff race.

Now it’s about evaluating some young players as the Commanders look to 2023. Chief among those evaluations is rookie quarterback Sam Howell. After initially planning to start Taylor Heinicke at quarterback in the Week 18 finale against the Dallas Cowboys, head coach Ron Rivera changed his mind after speaking with players, including Heinicke, and turned to Howell.

By looking at Washington’s injury report this week, Rivera is planning to evaluate much more than Howell.

We’ve picked five Commanders to watch in the season finale who could play an increased role in 2023.

Commanders DL teammates looking after John Ridgeway

Jonathan Allen enjoyed John Ridgeway’s “suplex” on Sunday. So much so that he, Daron Payne and Montez Sweat are going to help the rookie out.

Jonathan Allen is leading efforts for Commanders defensive line teammates to help out rookie defensive tackle John Ridgeway.

During Sunday’s 23-10 win in Houston, Ridgeway suddenly found himself in the odd position of Texans running back Dameon Pierce literally running into Ridgeway with his head so low and his upper torso almost parallel with the ground. Ridgeway grabbed Pierce by the waist and did a suplex on him to the

 

Ridgeway was flagged and will most likely be fined by the NFL. Fellow defensive tackle Jonathan Allen appeared on the Sports Junkies (106.7 The Fan) Tuesday explaining, “He is a rookie; you expect that from rookies. I don’t know what round he was drafted in. The 7th or 6th, I’m not sure. So me Payne (Daron) and Montez, we all agreed to take 1/4 of the fine he is going to get.

It is going to be massive. If we didn’t help him out, I think he might be playing the month of December for free. So we will take 3/4 of the fine and he is going to pay the other fourth.

He’s a young guy, he’s trying to play hard. I like it, I think that’s football. We did say the next time you are on your own. This first one, we will help you out. I don’t know what the fine is going to be.”

For the record, Ridgeway was drafted in the fifth round (178) of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Arkansas. He was released by the Cowboys and subsequently picked up by Washington.

 

Washington’s John Ridgeway flagged for body-slamming Dameon Pierce

Washington’s John Ridgeway thought he was in a WWE match, apparently

If it wasn’t bad enough the Houston Texans were being pummeled by the Washington Commanders on Sunday, one of their star players was subject to a WWE maneuver.

Dameon Pierce ran into Washington’s John Ridgeway on a carry and wound up getting body-slammed by the Commanders’ lineman.

Yes, Ridgeway was flagged for unnecessary roughness.

WATCH: Commanders DT John Ridgeway suplex Texans RB Dameon Pierce

He was flagged for unnecessary roughness.

The Houston Texans had five yards of total offense in the first half of Sunday’s Week 11 game against the Washington Commanders.

On Houston’s first possession of the second half, wide receiver Brandin Cooks somehow got matched up with Washington linebacker Jon Bostic, picking up 41 yards. Suddenly, the Texans were in business.

After the Texans pick up another first down, quarterback Davis Mills throws short to running back Dameon Pierce, but Commanders defensive tackle John Ridgeway was all over the play. In fact, Ridgeway picked Pierce up and went full WWE on him, suplexing him to the ground.

Check it out.

Naturally, Ridgeway was called for an unnecessary roughness penalty, giving the Texans a first-and-goal inside the 10-yard line. Fortunately for Ridgeway, Washington’s defense held the Texans to a field goal.

 

Studs and duds from Commanders’ loss to Vikings in Week 9

Who stood out in Washington’s loss to the Vikings? Who struggled? Here are our studs and duds from Week 9.

The Washington Commanders fell to 4-5 on the season after a 20-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings Sunday from FedEx Field.

As usual, it was a close game that came down to the final seconds, but unfortunately, it went against Washington this time. The Commanders’ last four games came down to the losing team possessing the ball with seconds on the clock. On Sunday, it was Washington trying desperately to create a miracle in the closing seconds.

The Commanders managed just 96 total yards of offense in the first half. For the game, Washington finished with 265 total yards; however, the Commanders could manage only 126 net passing yards. The Vikings came into the game with the No. 28 passing defense.

The Commanders had plenty of chances to win but let it slip through their fingers.

Here are our studs and duds from Washington’s Week 9 loss.