5 former Commanders draft picks who might be done in the NFL

2. Chris Thompson — Fifth Round, 2013

A former fifth-round pick in 2013, Thompson was a fan favorite during his time in Washington, and rightly so.

Thompson didn’t play much over his first two seasons, but was quietly one of the most effective pass-catching running backs spanning 2015-19. During that stretch, he averaged 41.2 catches for 349 yards and totaled nine touchdowns.

While impressive, those stats don’t fully encapsulate the kind of weapon Thompson was. Perhaps the best way we can quantify the former Florida State star’s impact is recalling his undeniable popularity in the fantasy football world during his prime. We know there’s some Washington fans who recall drafting Thompson late in drafts or scrambling to the waiver wire to pick him up after a big game.

Unfortunately, we might have seen he last of Thompson in the NFL. He last played in 2020 when he appeared in eight games as the Jaguars’ third-down back before he landed on injured reserve with a back injury that ended his season.

Jacksonville drafted Travis Etienne in the first round that offseason and Thompson was allowed to test free agency, where he went unsigned. The 31-year-old took a workout with the Bears last September but left without a contract, leaving many Washington fans to wonder if he’s run his last race in the NFL.