NFL roster cut day hit the Washington Commanders hard, with 34 players released as the franchise trimmed down to its initial 53-man roster.

Some cuts were expected. Others stung. The Commanders’ 2026 roster reflects a team still building, still raw, but anchored by enough talent to make the NFC East interesting. Jayden Daniels is the centerpiece, and the decisions made around him tell you where this organization believes it’s headed.

Let’s take a look at who made it & who got the ax.

Offense: No surprises at the top

Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota, and Athan Kaliakmanis round out the QB room. Kaliakmanis, the rookie from Rutgers, usurped Sam Hartman for the third spot after Hartman turned in mediocre preseason performances. Washington saw Hartman’s ceiling & decided the younger arm had more upside.

The running back group features Jacory Crosky-Merritt, Rachaad White, rookie Kaytron Allen, and Jeremy McNichols, who landed on injured reserve with a designation to return.

At wide receiver, Washington is keeping seven guys: Terry McLaurin, Stefon Diggs, Antonio Williams, Treylon Burks, Dyami Brown, Jaylin Lane, and Luke McCaffrey. That’s the group most people expected coming out of training camp & preseason. No real shock there.

The tight end room carries four names: Chigoziem Okonkwo, John Bates, Ben Sinnott, and Colson Yankoff.

The offensive line keeps 10, headlined by the expected starting five of Brandon Coleman, Chris Paul, Nick Allegretti, Sam Cosmi, and Josh Conerly Jr. Laremy Tunsil will begin the season on injured reserve, while DJ Humphries, Andrew Wiley, Matt Gulbin, and Tanoa Togai fill out the depth.

Defense: Linebackers lead, cornerback room raises questions

The defensive line lists six: Daron Payne, Javon Kinlaw, Tim Settle, Johnny Newton (expected to land on IR as well), Charles Omenihu, and Ricky Barber.

The Commanders kept four outside linebackers: Odafe Owe, K’Lavon Chaisson, Joshua Josephs, and Javontae Jean-Baptiste.

The linebacker group is likely the strongest position group on the team. Frankie Luvu, Sonny Styles, Leo Chenal, Jordan McGee, and Kane Medrano give Washington legitimate impact players at every level. Luvu, Styles, and Chenal should be difference-makers.

Cornerback is where eyebrows go up. Washington is keeping just three right now: Mike Sainristil, Amik Robinson, and Rasul Douglas. Trey Amos was placed on IR with a designation to return. I would expect another move at corner before Week 1, because three is not enough.

Safeties round out the defense with five: Nick Cross, Jeremy Reaves, Quan Martin, Percy Butler, and Tyler Owens.

Cuts that stung

A lot of the 34 releases were guys who simply aren’t NFL players yet. But a few stood out.

Running back Robert Henry Jr. is one of the bummers. He instilled real hope during Week 1 of the preseason, looking like a legitimate training camp surprise. Washington decided that after middling performances against Detroit & Baltimore, plus a rough week of practice, he wasn’t worth the roster spot. That Week 1 game against Miami made a lot of teams & players look good. I’m not saying he doesn’t have a future with the team, but for now, he’s out.

Linebacker Ale Kaho was another tough one. I expected him to be one of the premier special teams enforcers for the Commanders. A hungry dog on kickoff & kickoff return, playing every snap just to stay on the team. He showed exceptional effort in the preseason & had an edge Washington has typically lacked. That one hurts.

Defensive tackle Byron Cowart showed real effort in a terrible team performance against Baltimore. He deserved more consideration. Shy Tuttle, another defensive tackle many expected to stick, got the clip on a brutal Sunday for NFL players across the league.

Offensive lineman Trent Scott’s release was somewhat shocking. He was a serviceable swing tackle, but serviceable wasn’t good enough anymore.

Here’s the point: while I don’t think anyone believes Washington as a team is good enough yet, the leadership & decision-makers continue to reinforce that “not good enough” is not good enough. Moving on from Scott shows the regime’s maturity. That’s a meaningful signal.

Offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere should take the offseason & commit to learning guard. Veteran wide receiver Van Jefferson was cut, but that’s typical for Jefferson. He’ll bounce around somewhere else this season.

This isn’t the final roster

A team as raw as Washington is right now will make more moves before Week 1. This initial 53 is serviceable, not final. Knowing you have a quarterback like Jayden Daniels should give you hope.

There’s talent on this roster. Is it the most talented team? Probably not. But it’s a foundation for a possibly great year, and that’s worth something in a city that’s been starving for it.