Three players have taken turns as the lone kicker on Washington’s roster this offseason. Riley Patterson sits in that role presently, but it does not sound like the Commanders are committed to the former Jaguars and Lions specialist just yet.
Brandon McManus held that spot for nearly three months, while Ramiz Ahmed entered camp as the only kicker on the roster. The Commanders signed Ahmed shortly after releasing McManus once a civil lawsuit alleging sexual assault emerged. Not long after claiming Patterson off waivers from the Jags, the Commanders cut Ahmed, who has one game of NFL experience.
Patterson has stood as the only kicker on Washington’s 90-man roster for nearly a week, but he went 2-for-4 on field goals against the Dolphins on Saturday. Patterson also missed his only field goal try in the Commanders’ preseason opener. Dan Quinn has since said the Commanders are looking for another kicker, via the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala, who notes there is a real possibility the team’s Week 1 kicker is not yet on the roster.
Late August has become a point on the calendar to monitor for kicker changes; Patterson has changed teams at this point in the past. The Lions waived Patterson in 2022, leading him to the Jags, who employed him as their kicker throughout that season. Patterson, whom the Jags traded back to the Lions upon signing McManus in May 2023, spent last season in Detroit and Cleveland before signing a reserve/futures deal with Jacksonville in January. His time in Washington may be short, however.
The Commanders figure to be interested in either making a trade or claiming a kicker another team cuts. Non-vested veterans whom teams cut before the August 27 deadline to finalize initial 53-man rosters will head to waivers, and by virtue of their 4-13 record, the Commanders hold the No. 2 priority. That will come in handy as they evaluate their kicker need compared to other veterans of interest who come across the wire.
A vested vet who is cut passes straight to free agency. Nine teams are currently carrying at least two kickers, with the Packers still rostering three. Randy Bullock and Brett Maher are notable veterans who remain unsigned. If the Packers move on from Greg Joseph (to keep either incumbent Anders Carlson or rookie UDFA Alex Hale), he would pass to free agency. The Browns are also carrying Cade York behind recently extended ex-Washington leg Dustin Hopkins, while the Jets have Austin Seibert behind the recently re-signed Greg Zuerlein. Washington did not re-sign Joey Slye, who is currently competing with Chad Ryland for the Patriots’ job.
