The Washington Commanders' initial 53-man roster has been finalized, and it doesn't include a whole lot of surprises. And in the wide receiver room, it's ultimately what we all expected from the start, which means one player everybody was rooting for is out.
Terry McLaurin, Stefon Diggs, Antonio Williams, Luke McCaffrey, Jaylin Lane, Treylon Burks, and Dyami Brown are in. Van Jefferson Jr. was the most notable cut, a journeyman veteran who may have just seen his final NFL chance get away from him. And then there was the late push from undrafted free agent Jaden Bradley, which came up just short.
Bradley went from a tryout flyer to garnering serious roster consideration after his standout performance in Week 2 of the preseason against the Detroit Lions. But he'll likely have to settle for practice squad duties.
Jaden Bradley's impressive summer wasn't quite enough to break into crowded Commanders WR room
Had the Commanders not signed Diggs in the 11th hour, there's a chance Bradley might have done the improbable. But the local DeMatha High School product wasn't able to capitalize on his head-turning breakout, as he caught two of four targets for only 18 receiving yards and had a costly fumble the following week in Washington's blowout loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Bradley finished the preseason as the Commanders' second-leading receiver, only one yard behind Jacoby Jones, with his audition highlighted by a ridiculous one-handed catch against Detroit. But Washington just didn't have room for the former UNLV star.
McLaurin, Diggs, and Williams were clear locks. Lane is an electric punt returner. Burks and Brown bring experience and reason to believe in some level of upside. It seemed like Bradley might have had an avenue on the kick return team, but McCaffrey has shown just enough to squash the idea of cutting ties this early with a third-round pick.
There's still a chance Bradley finds his way onto the Commanders' roster at some point in 2026, though it would only come under a scenario nobody wants to see. He'll be one of the next men up in case of injuries, which are bound to strike the receiving room eventually.
There's also a chance Bradley could get plucked by another organization in need of receiving help. In that case, Commanders fans will wish him the best as long as he's not suiting up against the burgundy and gold.
Everyone loves to root for a good story, and Bradley was one of the best ones the Commanders had going for them this offseason. But it wasn't quite enough for him to survive the cruelest day of the NFL calendar.
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