The Washington Commanders continue to make encouraging strides under head coach Dan Quinn. He moved to a more zone-heavy system that plays to his players' strengths much more. They are far from perfect, but the consistency is significantly better when the lead man is calling the shots.
This also provides an insight into how certain players are being perceived. The Commanders remain depleted on the injury front, but Quinn needed to make a tough decision to make room for the returning Will Harris.
The veteran safety had been missing since Week 3, and the Commanders missed his experience greatly. He's now back, which means someone was going to make way. And it also made Washington's stance on Darnell Savage Jr. crystal clear.
Commanders made Darnell Savage Jr. a healthy scratch against the Broncos
There were a few eyebrows raised when Savage was among the inactive players. He didn't feature on the injury report throughout the week. He also played 46.4 percent of defensive snaps in Week 11 against the Miami Dolphins, and one could make a strong case for him outperforming almost everyone. But Quinn kept faith in Jeremy Reaves and Quan Martin instead, while Tyler Owens and Percy Butler were active for their special-teams prowess.
Perhaps this was down to the specific matchup alone. It could also be the start of a concerning trend down the stretch for Savage, who was brought into the Commanders to offset Harris' departure in the first place.
Now that the spring signing has returned to the fold, Savage may have served his purpose. He's done an adequate job as a fill-in. Even so, the Commanders have more invested in Martin and Harris. Reaves recently signed a new contract until 2027. Owens is still highly thought of, although this might be more as a special-teams ace than a defensive starter right now.
Savage was a short-term solution to a growing issue. It was mutually beneficial after his time with the Jacksonville Jaguars came to an abrupt halt. It kept him involved and allowed him to put out some decent tape before he explores opportunities during the 2026 offseason. But this healthy scratch is a clear sign that his future lies elsewhere once Washington's regular-season engagements conclude.
Until then, Savage will fight hard to turn the tide. He's flashed enough promise to feature again, possibly, but he seems further down the pecking order than most fans expected with Harris healthy enough to participate.
Someone was going to feel aggrieved regardless. But that's the cruel nature of this business.