Trent Scott - Commanders OL
Trent Scott is a rare commodity. The veteran offensive lineman was one of the very few who managed to get held over from the Ron Rivera era. Adam Peters completely gutted the Washington Commanders roster, but he surprisingly got a reprieve.
Scott also made the 53-man roster. He was a backup, but came into the breach to ensure things kept ticking over in Washington's stunning playoff win over the Detroit Lions when Sam Cosmi tore his ACL. That was also enough to get another one-year extension from the Commanders.
Again, Scott did enough to make the team. He's barely been active, with those in power preferring others to fill the void during some frantic offensive line alterations earlier in the campaign. Cosmi is also back now, leaving the Grambling State product as a healthy scratch.
Much will depend on whether the Commanders extend Chris Paul and Andrew Wylie, but things are not looking especially promising for Scott. He's done well to stick around longer than most players brought to the organization by Rivera, but it would be a massive surprise if he got yet another go-around during the 2026 offseason.
Scott's versatility should be enough to get another shot, but it's highly unlikely to be in Washington.
Preston Smith - Commanders DE
The Commanders' defensive front has been decimated more than any other position group this season. Their two projected starting ends — Dorance Armstrong Jr. and Deatrich Wise Jr. — are out for the season. Promising youngster Javontae Jean-Baptiste also saw his campaign cruelly cut short, leaving those in power scrambling to find band-aid fixes for lingering issues.
It was hard not to feel a little sentimental about Preston Smith's return to Washington. The prolific pass-rusher was drafted by the franchise and went on to become a dominant force. With a sensational stint on the Green Bay Packers firmly in the rearview mirror, he returned to where it all started.
Unfortunately for Smith, it seems like Father Time has caught up with him. The Commanders are tasking him with huge responsibilities amid the doom and gloom. It's been a little too much, and the former Mississippi State standout has failed to generate any positive momentum.
It was a swing and a miss by the Commanders. They didn't have much of a choice, and Smith was widely regarded as the most accomplished veteran edge defender remaining on the market at the time. It hasn't gone well, so his days in Washington seem numbered.