The Washington Commanders suffered another significant loss during Sunday’s win over the Las Vegas Raiders when starting safety Will Harris fractured his fibula and is lost for the foreseeable future. Fortunately, Washington was able to find some veteran depth available in free agency, signing former first-round pick Darnell Savage to a one-year deal.
Savage, a former star at the University of Maryland, spent his first five NFL seasons with the Green Bay Packers before signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024. The Jaguars released him last week, and Washington brought him in for a visit on Monday, quickly signing him to take Harris’ roster spot.
In seven NFL seasons, the 28-year-old Savage has appeared in 87 games with 82 starts, 354 tackles and 10 interceptions. If nothing else, Savage provides veteran depth at safety with Jeremy Reaves set to receive an increased role. Washington had already been playing Reaves more on defense, but he could now start opposite Quan Martin.
As for Savage, he apparently grew up a Washington fan in Newark, Delaware, sharing this image of him wearing Redskins‘ gear as a child.
That’s one way to endear yourself to a new fan base.
Savage is a low-risk, potentially high-reward signing. He’s still young, has plenty of experience, and check out his athletic profile coming out of Maryland in 2019.
While Savage is a safety, he has some experience playing in the slot. Washington’s coaching staff loves versatile defensive backs.