The Washington Commanders open the 2022 NFL regular season against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 11 at FedEx Field.
The Commanders' roster has been upgraded at quarterback, with Carson Wentz, and at receiver with rookie Jahan Dotson and the healthy return of Curtis Samuel. But their 53-man roster won't include defensive end Chase Young for a while as he'll miss the first four games after being placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list (PUP).
Washington's biggest questions will be whether to keep a fourth running back, a seventh receiver (Alex Erickson perhaps) and how many players to keep along the offensive and defensive lines as well as in the secondary. They also are still figuring out their third safety -- will it be Darrick Forrest or rookie Percy Butler? And will rookie running back Brian Robinson emerge as their main back, as happened during preseason games? Also, undrafted rookie tight end Armani Rogers impressed them after playing quarterback in college and could earn a spot on the roster.
The roster will be cut to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Here is a projection:
QUARTERBACK (3): Carson Wentz, Taylor Heinicke, Sam Howell
This one was decided early in camp and nothing happened to change the order of this group: It's Wentz, then Heinicke and then Howell. There's a gap between each of them. The question for Wentz isn't as much whether he's their guy now or even in 2023, but can he become a long-term solution for Washington? That's what he must prove this season.
