Washington Football Team: Examining 3 players returning from injury in 2021
LANDOVER, MARYLAND – SEPTEMBER 13: Matthew Ioannidis #98 and Chase Young #99 of the Washington Football Team rush the Philadelphia Eagles offense at FedExField on September 13, 2020 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
DT Matt Ioannidis
2020 stats: Three games played, seven tackles, 1.5 sacks
The Washington Football Team defense finished the 2020 season as a top-tier unit thanks to a plethora of raw talent on the field, in addition to outstanding coaching. The unit was a breath of fresh air after years of ineptitude under Gruden and Manusky.
Even though the defense performed well on the field in ‘20, a key member of the unit was lost for the season in Week 3 against the Cleveland Browns.
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As a result of a torn bicep, Matt Ioannidis missed out on the division title run. While Tim Settle filled in admirably with five sacks, Ioannidis has become a problem for opposing offenses while his career has progressed.
While Settle could probably start on more than a hand full of teams in the league, he is not to the level of Matt Ioannidis just yet. Ioannidis has become one of the league’s better interior defensive linemen at collapsing the pocket and getting after the quarterback.
Ioannidis’s brute strength and tenacity led to tallying 16 total sacks from 2018-19. At 6-foot-3 and 310 pounds, there have been times where the big defender was seen pushing back an opposing offensive lineman while grabbing the quarterback with his free hand to complete a sack.
The impact of Matt Ioannidis in the two years prior to the torn bicep injury was on a borderline pro bowl level. Even though Washington’s interior defensive line is a strength with Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, and Settle, Ioannidis coming back from injury in 2021 is best for all involved.
For Washington, it can only hope that Ioannidis can stay healthy in the new season with the likes of Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, and Josh Allen on deck.