4 Commanders players whose jobs are in jeopardy heading into 2023 preseason finale

Curtis Hodges - Commanders TE

Losing Logan Thomas due to injury was disappointing but not a complete disaster at this juncture. The veteran tight end returned to the practice field on Wednesday as he looks to take the field in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals, but the Washington Commanders are right to proceed with extreme caution to avoid any unnecessary flare-ups regarding his calf issue.

If Thomas cannot go, then confidence is growing around others also looking for their share of involvement within Eric Bieniemy's tight-end friendly scheme. Cole Turner looks like a potential breakout candidate heading into his sophomore campaign, with John Bates also demonstrating some decent improvements after being initially perceived as a blocking specialist.

The same cannot be said of Curtis Hodges. His production has been underwhelming at best despite the outstanding athletic attributes at his disposal - something that was further reflected during Washington's eye-catching win to break the Baltimore Ravens' preseason streak.

Hodges brought in just one reception from three targets for seven receiving yards on Monday Night Football. He is clearly the No. 4 option and could even fall to No. 5 depending on how the Commanders plan to utilize designated full-back Alex Armah.

There is one final opportunity for Hodges to convince those in power he's worthy of sticking around. He is raw, but one could make a strong case for the player to get picked up elsewhere given his physical profile if the Commanders opt to go in a different direction.