Reports surfaced that the Washington Commanders were looking to find a trade suitor for Noah Igbinoghene with just a few hours remaining until the cut-down deadline. Whether anything came of it was unclear at the time, but it didn't exactly bode well for the cornerback's chances of finding his name on the initial 53-man roster.
This quickly became a contentious issue among the fan base. Igbinoghene performed relatively well when called upon in a starting role last season, transitioning to the nickel when second-round rookie Mike Sainristil went to the boundary. There were some lapses against the run, but his consistency was better than anything the first-round pick put together during his playing career previously.
Couple this with Igbinoghene turning in an outstanding effort at training camp and the preseason, and fans were bemused by the team's intentions. The Commanders have a strong cornerback unit, but all it'll take is an injury or two to flip this narrative. There are also plenty of unknowns that warrant contingency plans.
Commanders give Noah Igbinoghene a reprieve, but for how much longer remains to be seen
Keeping Igbinoghene seemingly had far more positives than negatives. But the only opinions that mattered were those of general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn.
As it turned out, Igbinoghene found his name on the squad. But there could be some twists to come just yet.
If the Commanders are planning to trade Igbinoghene, cutting him before the deadline wasn't the best way to get something back in return. It could be a similar situation to defensive tackle John Ridgeway III last year, who was the subject of intense trade speculation shortly before the cut-down time.
The Commanders kept Ridgeway on the books to give them some extra negotiation space. He was traded to the New Orleans Saints soon after, so Igbinoghene is not out of the woods just yet.
Peters won't let the defensive back leave unless his valuation is met. Perhaps the Commanders didn't get any interest, so keeping him around is better than not having a dependable understudy at all.
It remains a precarious situation for Igbinoghene if Dianna Russini from The Athletic was accurate. Peters won't hesitate to ring more changes if he believes it'll help the Commanders go on another deep playoff run. If that includes disposing of the Auburn product, he won't hesitate to pull the trigger.
This is all part of the NFL's cutthroat business at this time of year. Hundreds of players are now out of work. And even those who made initial 53-man squads might not be around once waiver claims have gone through the process.
Igbinoghene got a reprieve when all signs pointed to the contrary. Just how much longer this lasts is the big question.