The Washington Commanders are making significant adjustments to their 53-man roster ahead of their 2024 season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 8.
The latest move came just 48 hours before kickoff, with the team releasing veteran wide receiver and former Super Bowl champion Byron Pringle on September 6.
“On Friday, as the Commanders conducted their final practice before heading to Tampa, they cut the wide receiver who entered the league undrafted in 2018,” reported USA Today’s Evan Lambert. “Many observers believed Pringle had secured a spot on the roster due to his veteran experience and ability to return kickoffs.”
Pringle, now in his seventh season, played all 17 games for the Commanders in 2023, recording 14 receptions for 161 yards and no touchdowns. He had joined Washington on a one-year, $1.08 million contract in March 2023.
From Undrafted to Super Bowl Champion
Pringle initially gained recognition at Butler Community College before transferring to Kansas State, where he was a three-time All-Big 12 selection as both a receiver and return specialist.
Despite going undrafted in 2018, Pringle signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as a free agent. Although his rookie season was marred by injury and he spent it on injured reserve, he made the team’s 53-man roster in 2019 and won a Super Bowl that season. He returned in 2020 and made a name for himself as a return specialist, notably returning a kickoff 102 yards for a touchdown against the Denver Broncos in Week 7. He also played in Super Bowl LV, recording one reception for three yards in the Chiefs’ loss to the Buccaneers.
Pringle had a standout year in 2021, setting career highs with 1,189 all-purpose yards and five touchdowns, including 60 receptions for 568 yards and 621 yards on kickoff returns. He spent the last two seasons on one-year contracts, first with the Chicago Bears in 2022 and then with the Commanders in 2023.
Recent Roster Moves
The Commanders recently signed veteran wide receiver Noah Brown on August 28, listing him as one of the starting receivers alongside Terry McLaurin and Olamide Zaccheaus for the season opener against the Buccaneers.
Brown, now in his eighth season, has consistently exceeded 500 receiving yards in each of the last two seasons. In 2022, he recorded a career-high 74 receptions for 555 yards and three touchdowns with the Dallas Cowboys. Last season with the Houston Texans, he accumulated 33 receptions for a career-best 567 yards and two touchdowns in just ten games, averaging a career-high 17.2 yards per reception.
With the start of the new season, the Commanders are entering a new era under rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and new head coach Dan Quinn. Quinn, who was previously the defensive coordinator for the Cowboys and head coach of the Falcons from 2015 to 2020, will be looking to make his mark with the team.
Washington also bolstered their receiving corps through the draft by selecting wide receiver Luke McCaffrey in the third round (No. 100 overall). McCaffrey, who switched from quarterback to wide receiver for his final two college seasons, posted career highs of 71 receptions, 992 yards, and 13 touchdowns as a senior at Rice in 2023.