The Washington Commanders are trying to get through the next few days unscathed before embarking on a crucial offseason. General manager Adam Peters is already planning for the future, making a flurry of transactions in recent days in one last attempt to salvage some positivity before the season concludes.
Whether these recent additions will stay with the franchise is anyone's guess. But for edge rusher D.J. Johnson, the Commanders are giving him a shocking avenue back into the league when all hope seemed lost once upon a time.
Johnson has a friend in Washington's front office. Personnel executive Scott Fitterer was the Carolina Panthers general manager when he traded up for the Oregon product at No. 80 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. That was widely criticized as a massive reach at the time, and he did nothing to suggest otherwise during a disastrous spell in Charlotte.
Commanders saw enough in D.J. Johnson to sign him to their practice squad
It was clear from a long way out that Johnson was not going to meet expectations. There were brief flashes of promise against the run, but the player was unable to generate pressure consistently. The Panthers gave him chance after chance to galvanize his career to no avail. Eventually, their patience ran out.
Carolina released Johnson in late September, and he's been out of work ever since. The Commanders brought him in for a workout, and must have been suitably impressed. They signed him to their practice squad, giving the 27-year-old a lifeline that nobody expected.
Whether Johnson will get called up for Washington's regular-season finale against the Philadelphia Eagles is anyone's guess. He's been out of football for a while, so there's no telling what his conditioning will be like. At the same time, the Commanders' lack of genuine pass-rushers and the inability to stop anything on the ground could see him involved in some capacity.
What this could also hint at is that Washington wants to give him a reserve/futures contract after the campaign. That would provide Johnson with an extended period to impress. That's to be determined, but Fitterer's influence in the front office gave him a positive reference, at the very least.
Johnson must seize the moment. There is almost no time to catch the eye, so maximizing every rep if his number does get called is crucial. And with the Eagles set to rest some established stars in Week 18 in readiness for the playoffs, it only provides more incentive.
Anyone expecting miracles will be out of luck. But the Commanders have nothing to lose by seeing what Johnson could bring in the short and long term.
What comes next is down to the player.