The Washington Commanders made their stance on veteran safety Darnell Savage Jr. crystal clear in Week 13 against the Denver Broncos. And now, he's reportedly taken matters into his own hands.
Savage served a purpose earlier in the campaign. The Commanders were dealt a blow when veteran free-agent signing Will Harris went to injured reserve after just three games. Washington needed reinforcements on the backend, and the player was looking for work after a hasty departure from the Jacksonville Jaguars.
He performed relatively well. The Commanders' defense was a mess, and one could argue that coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. didn't use him nearly enough when the likes of Quan Martin were struggling to find the consistency needed.
Commanders are reportedly going to grant Darnell Savage's release request
Dan Quinn took over the defense, which coincided with arguably Savage's best game for the club in Week 11 against the Miami Dolphins. All signs were pointing up, but things change quickly in the NFL.
The bye week allowed Harris to get healthy. Savage was the player sacrificed, being made a healthy scratch. That didn't sit well with the 2019 first-round pick. According to Aaron Wilson from KPRC 2 Houston, citing sources with close knowledge of the situation, he's asked for his release.
Washington is expected to grant his wish, per Wilson. This gives him the chance to catch on with a contender, potentially. Or, at the very least, try to earn more playing time elsewhere after he quickly fell out of favor with the Commanders.
The Commanders are keeping faith with Martin despite his underwhelming campaign overall. Harris is back, and Jeremy Reaves has also increased his influence, taking on more responsibilities in the defensive rotation. Percy Butler and Tyler Owens are dynamic special-teams performers, so it wasn't hard to see why Savage would be on the outside looking in moving forward.
Being made a healthy scratch obviously rubbed Savage the wrong way. With the Commanders going nowhere fast this season, he wants the opportunity to get another fresh start on his third team of the campaign. Whether that arrives or not is up for debate, but Washington is going to do right by him to ensure he gets a shot.
Not many fans will be shedding tears when Savage's time with the franchise is cut short. He was a fill-in and nothing more. When the Commanders got their surplus of safeties back into the groove, he was always going to be the one who made way.
Based on this latest development, Savage knew it, too.