The Washington Commanders are slowly getting healthy. It's too late to salvage a winning record or a second-straight playoff berth, but it should mean that head coach Dan Quinn's squad is more competitive down the stretch.
Wide receiver Terry McLaurin made his triumphant return last week versus the Denver Broncos. The Commanders also got a monumental boost with Quinn confirming that superstar quarterback Jayden Daniels will take his place under center against the Minnesota Vikings. And the signal-caller is going to have his top-three wideouts available for the first time since Week 2 after Noah Brown was activated from injured reserve.
Unfortunately, this wasn't good news for everybody.
Commanders released Chris Moore to make room for Noah Brown
Brown's been dealing with knee and ankle injuries stemming back to Washington's mandatory minicamp. It's been a long road back to health for the former Ohio State standout, and he's eager to make up for some lost time. That meant someone had to be sacrificed, and the Commanders opted to release Chris Moore.
Fans shouldn't be entirely surprised by this development. Moore's influence has steadily waned after his 59-yard receiving effort against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 7. He's gained just five targets in the last five weeks, all of which came during Washington's international game with the Miami Dolphins. His snap percentage plummeted in Week 13, and with Treylon Burks continuing to show promise, the Cincinnati product's fate seemed inevitable once Brown got the all-clear to resume football activities.
Burks offers more long-term upside, and his sensational touchdown catch on Sunday Night Football was just a glimpse of what he could potentially bring to the franchise long-term. That's not the case with Moore, who struggled to find the consistency needed when his number was called more often than not.
There's a chance Moore comes back onto the practice squad as insurance in case additional injury problems arise. But with McLaurin, Brown, Burks, Deebo Samuel Sr., and fourth-round rookie Jaylin Lane, the Commanders have five capable pass-catchers for Daniels to call upon moving forward.
That doesn't guarantee success, but it's been a long time since offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury had all his top guys available. This will only help against the Vikings, who are generating more defensive pressure than most NFL teams.
Getting the football out quickly and on time is crucial. And now, the Commanders have the wideouts capable of creating separation quickly.
As for Moore? He'll be watching from home this weekend. But don't be surprised if he returns to the practice squad in the coming days.