The Washington Commanders have begun making roster cuts, releasing four players Saturday afternoon.
The Commanders still have a long way to go to reach the league limit of 53 by Sunday afternoon. The four players released thus far on Saturday are LB Boogie Basham, LB D.J. Johnson, S Joshuah Bledsoe and S Qwuantrezz Knight.
Perhaps the Commanders have begun their defensive-side discussions, as the cuts include two linebackers and two safeties.
- Qwuantrezz Knight: Knight had a working relationship with Washington GM Adam Peters. The 49ers signed the undrafted free agent following the 2022 NFL Draft and spent all of the 2022 season on the practice squad. On their practice squad again in 2023, the Cardinals claimed him, and he appeared in six Cardinals games in 2023.The Cardinals released Knight following the season; Washington signed Knight to a futures contract in January of 2026. This might be the NFL end for Knight.
- Joshuah Bledsoe: A 6th-round pick of the Patriots in the 2021 Draft, Bledsoe appeared in three games in 2022 and one game in 2023 for the Patriots. Since then, he has signed with the Steelers, Titans, and Commanders but has not made a 53-man roster. This might be the end for Bledsoe, too.
- LB D.J. Johnson: A third-round selection (No. 80 overall) by the Panthers in the 2023 NFL Draft. He started three games in 2023 and two games in 2024 for Carolina. He appeared in four 2025 games for the Panthers. Was waived by the Panthers in September 2025. Late in that season, the Commanders signed Johnson to their Practice Squad on December 31. On January 5, the Commanders signed Johnson to a Futures Contract.
- LB Boogie Basham: Basham was the 61st overall selection in the NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills in 2021. But Basham never lived up to his draft potential. He spent two seasons with the Bills (2021-22), two seasons with the Giants (2023-24), and 2025 with the Panthers. He then spent the rest of 2025 on the Raiders Practice Squad. He never started an NFL game, and the Commanders just picked him up Tuesday, August 25, four days ago.
You can see the common thread here: each had some NFL experience, and Peters hoped this would be where things came together for these players, but it appears their NFL days are numbered.
The Commanders have until 6:00 p.m. ET on Sunday to trim their roster from 90 players to 53.
This article originally appeared
on Commanders Wire: Commanders make first wave of roster cuts
