4 Commanders players we can safely call busts after the 2023 season
By Dean Jones
Phidarian Mathis - Commanders DT
Ron Rivera invested heavily in his defensive front during his time as Washington Commanders head coach and primary roster decision-maker. This brought mixed success for the most part.
The Commanders had a stable defensive tackle tandem in place - Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne - when they took Phidarian Mathis at No. 47 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. This was seen as a depth option who could assist as the nose tackle on five-man defensive fronts. Based on his first two seasons, the selection represents a grave error in judgment.
Mathis has endured some rough luck on the injury front. He lasted just a few snaps of his competitive rookie debut before being ruled out for the entire campaign. He began the 2023 season on injured reserve to further complicate matters.
The former Alabama star featured in 10 games last season. Mathis was on the field for 30 percent of the team's defensive snaps, logging eight tackles and offering almost nothing. This is further reflected in his lowly 42.7 grade from Pro Football Focus.
This is a huge offseason for Mathis. There is a much more prolific coaching staff steering him in the right direction. With all that said, there needs to be a dramatic turnaround given where the interior presence was drafted.
Time will tell, I guess.