The Washington Commanders made a significant splash over the early portion of free agency. General manager Adam Peters brought 12 new signings on board to speed up the team's rebuild, so the next objective was to fill out the roster to provide more flexibility during the 2026 NFL Draft.
Those plans got underway with the Commanders bringing back a former summer cut who fans thought was gone for good.
The team confirmed that offensive tackle Foster Sarrell has returned for another go-around. It's a one-year deal for the edge protector, who is getting another opportunity to stake his claim in pursuit of making the 53-man roster.
Commanders add another insurance policy before the draft in Foster Sarell
Sarell originally joined the Commanders last spring. He managed to stick around until final cuts, but Washington didn't take him through onto the regular-season squad. The veteran wasn't out of work for long, penning a deal with the Los Angeles Chargers, where he'd spent the first three years of his professional career before landing with head coach Dan Quinn.
The undrafted free agent out of Stanford bounced on and off the Chargers' practice squad in 2025. Sarell didn't give up a sack in 176 snaps, but his 32.6 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus was a testament to very little going right for the player in Los Angeles.
While the return to Washington raised a few eyebrows, new offensive coordinator David Blough clearly wants to see what the lineman can do within his improved blocking concepts. Nothing is guaranteed when it comes to a roster spot, but Sarell is getting the chance to compete. That's all he could probably hope for after how things unfolded last season.
The Commanders have their bookend tackle tandem in five-time Pro Bowler Laremy Tunsil and first-round pick Josh Conerly Jr. Brandon Coleman and Andrew Wylie could be the backups, but both could also be deployed on the interior. The same goes for Trent Scott, who is also back on a new one-year deal.
Washington could add a development project during the draft. But with only six selections, that might be difficult. Sarell serves as an insurance policy if nothing else, and he will see this as a prime location to go one better this summer and cement his place in the team's plans.
If it doesn't work out, the Commanders will move on again. Signing a contract is just the start, so what comes next is down to Sarell.
Let's see how he responds to the challenge.