The Washington Commanders' preseason defeat to the Detroit Lions left a sour taste in head coach Dan Quinn's mouth. And for free-falling veteran safety Will Harris, it was one mistake too many.
As part of the Commanders' latest roster transactions, Harris was released with one year remaining on his deal. This saves Washington $3.76 million on the 2026 cap, with $1 million in dead money attached. It also confirms a major lack of judgment from general manager Adam Peters last offseason.
Despite making a considerable impression during Washington's sensational run to the NFC Championship game, the Commanders opted not to match the offer Jeremy Chinn received from the Las Vegas Raiders. Peters thought he could get better for cheaper in Harris, but it didn't take long for the cracks to show.
Commanders cut ties with Will Harris after one mistake too many
Harris struggled to gain early momentum. He got hurt, missing considerable time. And when the Boston College product did get back into the lineup, he looked a yard or two off the pace.
Instead of disposing of Harris right away, the Commanders gave him another chance.
Unfortunately, the same trend continued.
He was quiet throughout the summer. Other safeties were clearly surpassing Harris in the pecking order, including Quan Martin and Tyler Owens. All hope was not lost, but that all changed against the Lions.
When Lions quarterback Joshua Dobbs went for a 50-yard touchdown run, the finger-pointing immediately began. The online criticism of rookie first-round linebacker Sonny Styles was asinine. Fifth-round selection Joshua Josephs bit too hard and failed to contain the edge. But Harris' role in this was equally disastrous.
Harris, perhaps feeling the strain of trying to stand out, gambled on the running back getting the football and removed himself from the back-end support. Dobbs went the other way, and there was nothing behind Josephs to stop him.
That was ignored initially. But once the All-22 from the contest came out, Harris' grave error in judgment was exposed in no uncertain terms.
Will Harris never looked capable of filling Jeremy Chinn's shoes
And it did not go unnoticed by the Commanders during their own assessments.
Washington decided it could cope without Harris. He's older and slower after his injury. The athletic gifts were nothing compared to Chinn, and though hindsight is 20/20, this was a contentious decision at the time and even more so now.
Harris became expendable quickly. Owens and Martin are on the rise. Free-agent signing Nick Cross and Jeremy Reaves are roster locks. Percy Butler brings special-teams value, which matters lower down the depth chart.
That is all the Commanders need. And in all honesty, Harris didn't do anywhere near enough to turn the tide.
What the future holds for Harris is unclear now. He's got some solid enough production to get a shot elsewhere, though his days as an established starter are probably long gone.
But for a team looking to enhance its depth at safety, Harris now becomes a viable option.
He was on a very short leash with the Commanders this offseason; that much is crystal clear now. The fine margins were going to matter, for good or bad. And after a significant blunder versus the team that drafted him, that was all Washington needed to see.
It's a tough business.
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