The Commanders did not have much of a chance to deploy their set of Alabama alums at defensive tackle last season. Phidarian Mathis, a 2022 second-round pick, was lost for the season in Week 1. After another injury during training camp this year, Mathis encountered another delay.
But the team is on track to have Mathis back soon. The Commanders designated him for return from IR, starting a 21-day activation window. Mathis not being activated in that time would result in a season-ending IR stay, but considering last year’s No. 47 overall pick returned to practice after last September’s meniscus tear, he should be expected to return following a late-summer calf malady.
Mathis did not land on Washington’s active/PUP list in July, which made an IR move necessary since he had already begun practicing with the team. The Commanders have used one of their eight allotted IR activations this season, moving defensive end Efe Obada back to the 53-man roster. It would appear Mathis will join Obada soon, but things have changed a bit on Washington’s D-line since Mathis last appeared in a game.
Although Mathis worked as a backup behind Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne to start last season, the No. 47 overall pick from 2022 was viewed as a potential replacement for Payne. Contract talks between Payne and the Commanders did not produce a deal ahead of the 2018 first-rounder’s fifth-year option season, and with Allen inked long term, Payne entered his contract year in limbo. But he delivered his best season in 2022, registering a career-high 11.5 sacks. Washington franchise-tagged Payne in March and extended him soon after, starting a spree of D-tackle deals this offseason. With both Payne and Allen signed to lucrative extensions, Mathis does not have a near-future road map to the starting lineup.
Still, Mathis represents a potential high-end rotational option behind Washington’s longtime DT duo. The meniscus tear occurred four plays into Mathis’ career, but his return in time for training camp brought a positive development. Washington heads into the trade deadline with a similar question at defensive end compared to its 2022 D-tackle quandary, with neither Montez Sweat nor Chase Young signed beyond this season. The team wants to hold onto both players but features a foggy outlook on the edge. Mathis’ presence offers additional security inside, however, and the teams should find out more about the second-year DT’s capabilities soon.
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