Washington waived rookie running back Kaytron Allen on Wednesday. The team’s entire public explanation was a single sentence confirming the release. He was the 187th pick in April’s draft, a sixth-rounder out of Penn State, and he leaves the 53-man roster with 12 carries for 41 yards in four NFL games.
Twelve carries. That is the whole sample Washington gathered on a drafted running back before deciding it needed the spot for someone else. The Commanders are reportedly expected to try to bring him back on the practice squad if he clears waivers, which tells you exactly how much of a football decision this was.
The Roster Math, Not a Performance Review
Washington designated three players to return from the physically unable to perform list this week: running back Jeremy McNichols, cornerback Trey Amos and defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. Each of them needs a seat on the 53, and Allen was the cheapest name to move to make one.
The backfield was already crowded before McNichols started his practice window. Jacory Croskey-Merritt has handled the lead-back work without being especially efficient. Rachaad White was running well before a shoulder injury kept him out of the Week 4 loss in London, and he logged two limited practices this week. Austin Ekeler is back in the mix. Craig Reynolds sits on the practice squad.
Allen played in every game and contributed on special teams, which is normally how a sixth-round back earns the right to stick. He did not draw a single target in the passing game all season. Washington looked at that resume, looked at three veterans coming off PUP, and made the obvious cut.
None of This Is a Verdict on the Player
Allen left Penn State as the program’s all-time leading rusher with 4,180 yards, which is a staggering thing to be in a backfield that has produced NFL runners for decades. He ran for 1,303 yards and 15 touchdowns in his final college season and made second-team All-American. Then he got 12 NFL carries across four weeks.
Day-three running backs are judged on opportunity they have no control over, and Allen’s problem was that Washington kept stacking bodies in front of him. Ekeler came back into the picture. White got healthy. McNichols is returning. Not one of those moves had anything to do with how Allen ran the ball.
What Happens Now
If he clears waivers, Washington keeps him in the building on the practice squad and nothing is really lost. If another team claims him, the Commanders burned a draft pick for four weeks of special-teams snaps and handed a productive Big Ten runner to a competitor for free. No claim has been reported yet.
The timing is what grates. Washington is 1-3, it hosts the 3-1 Giants on Sunday with Jayden Daniels expected back, and it has not rushed for 100 yards in a game since Week 2. A team with that particular problem waiving a drafted running back to open a roster spot is a team that has decided its rookie is not part of the answer. Maybe he never was. Twelve carries is not enough to know.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.