3 impending free agents Washington must re-sign in offseason

1. JD McKissic

No ifs, ands or buts about it. Washington re-signing JD McKissic should top the priority list for the 2022 offseason.

In the simplest of terms, McKissic has been Washington’s most consistent offensive weapon this season. That includes Terry McLaurin, who ranks in the middle of the pack in every major statistical category amongst receivers.

Getting back to McKissic, most teams wouldn’t move heaven and earth to retain a 28-year-old RB  who isn’t even the lead guy in his own backfield. However, he’s already set a career high in touchdowns (four) and yards per touch (6.7).

Despite being undersized, he’s a warrior in pass protection, another aspect of his game that goes unrecognized to the naked eye. When you go back and watch his highlights, you’ll realize just how many times he prevented a sack.

McKissic has also been on the receiving end of two of the defining plays of Washington’s season: the long reception up the sidelines that preluded Ricky Seals-Jones fourth quarter touchdown vs the Giants, and the game-winning catch and run against the Falcons that he capped with a leap for the ages.

That’s to say nothing of his two-TD showing in the win over Seattle. Unfortunately, a head/neck injury suffered in that victory sidelined him for Week 13, marking the first game he was forced to miss since 2018!

Getting beyond his impact on the field, McKissic is a veteran presence in the locker room and a clear leader behind the scenes.

In sum, there legitimately isn’t an argument you can make against re-signing the six-year veteran. He’ll be a hot commodity if he hits the open market, and Washington would be smart to make sure it doesn’t get to that point.