Washington Football Team CB Kendall Fuller one of the best in NFL

With the Washington Football Team being 1-5 through six weeks, it habitually makes sense to focus on what they’ve been doing wrong.

Conversely, however, credit must also be given for the moves that have so far borne fruit for the Washington Football Team. While those moves haven’t quite added up yet, one acquisition that’s already proving to be worth more than its cash value is cornerback Kendall Fuller.

In the free agency period of the 2020 offseason, the Washington Football Team signed Kendall Fuller to a four-year, $40 million deal. At the time, it was seen as adequate value — an above-average contract value for an above-average cornerback.

In the years prior to his deal, Fuller had carved out a niche with the Kansas City Chiefs, but he lost his full-time starting role in 2019, and while he did produce plentifully in the playoffs, it was still unclear if he could be consistent in the role the Washington Football Team would use him in.

Now, however, those questions have been answered. Washington has played six games. Fuller has played four. And he’s perhaps been Washington’s best player on the field in every single one.

Through four games in the 2020 regular season, Kendall Fuller has four interceptions and five pass deflections. Even after missing the first two contests of the year, Fuller’s still on pace to have a career-best stat sheet, with eight projected interceptions and over ten projected pass deflections. He’s already eclipsed his numbers from 11 games in 2019, and it appears as though he’s just getting started.

Delving deeper into the advanced stats, it only gets better for Fuller. According to Pro Football Focus, Fuller is allowing the second-lowest passer rating in coverage among cornerbacks. His allowed passer rating of 8.7 is second only to San Francisco 49ers cornerback Jason Merrett, who’s allowed a rating of 7.0. Fuller’s figure places him over 2020 standouts like Xavier Rhodes and James Bradberry.

Washington’s defense has not been consistent from week to week, but with the help of standouts like Kendall Fuller, they’ve managed to maintain a respectable air, and that should only continue as Fuller’s role continues to expand. No matter what else is happening around him, Fuller is making plays, and he’s playing the best football of his career.