Jonathan Allen was released by the Washington Commanders on Friday, ending the standout defensive tackle’s time with the team that drafted him after eight seasons.
The move, which was not a surprise, comes less than two weeks since they gave Allen’s camp permission to talk to other teams around the NFL about a potential trade. There was no guaranteed money owed to the 30-year-old veteran going into the final season of his contract, which made him a candidate to be released to save the Commanders roughly $20 million against the salary cap.
Drafted in the first round out of Alabama in 2017, Allen was the second-longest-tenured player in the organization after punter Tress Way.
Allen missed half of last season after tearing a pectoral muscle but returned for Washington’s final four games, including the playoffs. The Commanders reached the NFC title game before losing to eventual Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia.
Since debuting eight years ago, Allen has appeared in 108 games for Washington, making 401 tackles and recording 42 sacks. That sack total ranks fifth in franchise history since it became an official stat in 1982.
Washington released Allen a day after agreeing to re-sign six-time All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner to a one-year contract for 2025. Kicker Zane Gonzalez is also being brought back for the league minimum $1.17 million.
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