It was another busy day for the Washington Commanders on Monday, three days before they face the Dallas Cowboys on Christmas Day. First, Washington signed veteran quarterback Jeff Driskel off the Arizona Cardinals‘ practice squad. Driskel spent last season as the Commanders‘ No. 3 quarterback.
Washington signed Driskel after Marcus Mariota suffered hand and quad injuries in Saturday’s loss to the Eagles. Mariota still has swelling in his right throwing hand. Josh Johnson will start at quarterback if Mariota cannot play, with Driskel likely serving as the backup.
When the Commanders signed Driskel, they had to make a corresponding move, which was placing right guard Sam Cosmi on injured reserve. Cosmi suffered a concussion in Saturday’s game and is in the NFL’s concussion protocol. It ends a disappointing season for the standout offensive lineman who missed the first six games as he recovered from offseason knee surgery.
Washington wasn’t done making moves.
Rookie wide receiver Jaylin Lane was injured fielding a punt after he took a shot to his lower leg/ankle and was ruled out. The Commanders placed Lane on season-ending IR. Taking his place will be Jamal Agnew, who was claimed off waivers from the Atlanta Falcons.
Agnew, 30, entered the NFL as a fifth-round pick of the Detroit Lions in the 2017 NFL draft. He spent four seasons with the Lions, the next three with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the last two years with the Pittsburgh Steelers (2024) and the Falcons. Agnew has four punt returns for touchdowns and two kickoff returns for touchdowns in his NFL career. He could serve in both roles for Washington, which already lost primary kickoff returner Luke McCaffrey earlier in the season.
Agnew was named first-team All-Pro in 2017 and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2022 as a returner.
Washington also placed veteran defensive tackle Eddie Goldman on IR. To replace the run stuffer, the Commanders claimed Shy Tuttle off waivers from the Tennessee Titans. Tuttle spent his first four seasons with the New Orleans Saints, followed by two years with the Carolina Panthers before signing with the Titans in 2025. Tuttle, like Goldman, is primarily known for his ability to stop the run.
The Commanders host the Cowboys on Thursday at 1:00 p.m., which is a short turnaround. Washington finishes the regular season in Week 18 with a rematch against the Eagles.