Redskins sign back veteran wide receiver Brian Quick

In light of injuries at the wide receiver position, the Redskins have brought back a familiar face.

The Washington Redskins got out of Arizona fairly unscathed; no starters were lost in the bout in the desert. But two rookie reserve wide receivers, Trey Quinn and Cam Sims, both sustained high ankle sprains of varying degrees; Sims on the first play of the game, and Quinn toward the end.

With their depth at receiver shot, Washington has entered the free agent market once again, and they came out with a familiar face: Veteran pass catcher Brian Quick. His agency first broke the news.

The Quick signing makes sense. Other suitable options on the free agent market are limited. Although Dez Bryant remains available, and he tweeted his desire to play for Washington, impressed with their Week 1 performance, the Redskins are reportedly not interested in the former Cowboy. The reunification of Quick with his former squad reaffirms that disinterest.

Quick is an experienced receiver. At 29 years old, he has four years on the team’s next youngest receiver. In 2016, he had a career year with Jeff Fisher’s Rams, amassing 564 yards and three touchdowns on 41 receptions. It was assumed that he’d be marginal contributor with Washington in 2017, but he only logged six receptions and 76 yards before suffering a season-ending concussion against the Seahawks. Now back with the Redskins, Quick can have a fresh start.

Concurrent with the signing of Quick, the Redskins will have to either release a player, or place one of their injured receivers on injured reserve. The signing suggests that the Redskins know at least one of the receiver injuries has a relatively extensive timetable. It’s unfortunate to see a promising rookie’s season ended so early, but it happens in football. It’s Washington’s job to have a contingency plan. In this case, Quick fits the bill.

If Washington sends a player to injured reserve, in response to this acquisition, we’ll provide an update at the bottom of this article. The Redskins didn’t often use their receivers in the season opener, instead leaning on a dominant running game, but in the coming weeks, they’ll need to be ready to change plans at a moment’s notice.

Update: The Redskins have placed Cam Sims on injured reserve. Additionally, they released linebacker Josh Keyes, promoted Kenny Ladler to the active roster, and signed wide receiver Teo Redding to the practice squad.