Commanders release former All-Pro guard

Washington placed Norwell on the reserve/PUP list in May, a move which seemed to signal the end of his time in the nation’s capital once he passed a physical. After dealing with an elbow injury during the spring, the 31-year-old has presumably done so given his release is now official.

Norwell spent only one season in Washington after four years each in Carolina and Jacksonville. The Jaguars removed one year from his deal in 2021, allowing him to hit the open market last offseason. That paved the way for a two-year, $10M Commanders contract. Parting ways with him halfway through that pact will yield $4.38M in cap savings for Washington via a post-June 1 cut.

The Ohio State alum started at left guard for each of his 16 games played last year, drawing his worst PFF evaluation to date. That helped inform the team’s decision to look elsewhere at the position. Saahdiq Charles and Chris Paul are set to compete for the first-team LG role during camp, and the Commanders have a number of other, new, faces in place along their offensive front to evaluate.

Norwell, who has started all but one of his 128 career games, will now look to latch onto a roster as training camps open up around the league. Teams are always on the lookout for experienced contributors when filling out depth charts, and, if healthy, he should be able to generate a market on a short-term, low-cost deal in a bid to rebuild his free agent value. Washington, meanwhile, will move forward with added financial flexibility and a clearer picture of its interior O-line situation.