The Washington Football Team has until 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday to trim its roster to 80 players.
Washington made its first move on Monday morning, releasing third-year wide receiver Steven Sims Jr.
Sims was an undrafted free agent in 2019 and impressed the former coaching staff throughout that season. He appeared to be Washington’s slot receiver of the future, at least according to then-interim coach Bill Callahan.
He caught 34 passes for 310 yards and a touchdown in 2019. He also returned a kickoff for a touchdown that season.
Sims took a step back in 2020 under Ron Rivera and the new coaching staff. He appeared in 12 games and finished with 27 receptions for 265 yards and one touchdown. His best performance, arguably, came in the wild-card loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in which he caught four passes and a touchdown.
Sims was also Washington’s primary punt returner in 2020. He struggled in that role, averaging 6.7 yards per return, and sometimes had trouble catching punts cleanly.
Sims didn’t help himself in Friday’s preseason loss to the Bengals by not coming up with a Kyle Allen pass in the second half.
Washington likely released Sims now to give him a chance to stick somewhere else before the season. Sims should be on someone’s roster as he proved he could play at this level.