3 former Commanders who are thriving elsewhere in 2022

1. Samaje Perine (Bengals)

Washington drafted Perine in the fourth round of the 2017 draft, and he never quite established himself with the franchise. His best season came as a rookie, when he logged 603 rushing yards and a touchdown on just 3.4 YPC, adding 22 catches for 182 yards and a score as a receiver out of the backfield.

Perine led the backfield in touches, but lost touches to former fan favorite Chris Thompson and Robert Kelley, who totaled 64 and 62 carries, respectively. Perine’s sophomore year was upended due to ankle and calf injuries, but he wasn’t supplanting Adrian Peterson (1,042 rushing yards) as the starter, anyway.

Perine played just five games and finished the year with eight rush attempts, which foreshadowed his release the following preseason. He split time in Cincinnati and Miami, but ultimately found solace in the former, where he’s spent the last three seasons as one of the top backup running backs in the league.

Perine played a big role in the Bengals’ magical Super Bowl run last season, and the offense never skips a beat when Joe Mixon is sidelined with an injury. In 2022 alone, Perine has 349 rushing yards and two TDs on 4.5 YPC, to go with 264 receiving yards and four (!) scores in the passing game.

Perine’s averaged an impressive 4.6 yards per attempt in 51 games (196 rush attempts) with the Bengals. The Commanders should be more tan content with their current running back room, but you have to wonder what they’re thinking when it comes to Perine’s renaissance in the Queen City.