A regular starter since the midpoint of his rookie season, Jamin Davis will not play his third NFL campaign to the end. The Commanders linebacker will undergo surgery that will shut him down early, according to the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala.
Davis sustained a shoulder injury in Washington’s Week 13 loss to Miami. The former No. 19 overall pick had missed just one game this season and had only been sidelined for two during his first two seasons. With the Commanders all but certain to change coaching staffs in 2024, Davis will be tasked with learning a new scheme once he recovers.
After struggling during his rookie season, Davis has fared better over the past two. He played a key role in Jack Del Rio‘s defense ranking in the top 10 last year. Pro Football Focus slotted Davis just outside the top 40 in 2022 and has him in that range once again this year. Davis posted a 104-tackle, three-sack season last year and was on track to replicate that; the off-ball linebacker will wrap this season with 89 stops and three sacks. Davis added two forced fumbles this season.
One season remains on Davis’ fully guaranteed rookie contract, but it will likely be a new regime’s responsibility to pick up his fifth-year option by May. Based on how teams proceeded with off-ball ‘backers from the 2020 first round, it should be considered unlikely Davis’ is exercised. Davis will meet the playing-time qualifications to land on the third tier within the option hierarchy. That is slated to produce a number near $13M, according to OverTheCap. The Cardinals, Chargers, Seahawks and Ravens (Isaiah Simmons, Kenneth Murray, Jordyn Brooks, Patrick Queen) each declined ILB fifth-year options in 2023.
This will point to Davis entering a contract year in 2024. Washington let Cole Holcomb walk this year and replaced him with ex-Seahawk Cody Barton. David Mayo, former fifth-rounder Khaleke Hudson and ex-Cowboy Jabril Cox are in place as depth pieces behind the Barton-Davis duo. Mayo is likely to take over as Davis’ first-string replacement, per Jhabvala.
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