Washington Commanders

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay recently said he believes there should be consideration given to removing Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder, and he's reportedly hoping to get more involved in the process along with other owners around the NFL.

According to Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post, on Friday Irsay "called the owners the NFL’s stakeholders and said that they, in his view, must take control of the process, rather than allow it to be directed by Commissioner Roger Goodell or the league."

Snyder is under investigation by the NFL regarding sexual assault allegations that surfaced against him in February, and Irsay said he believes it's warranted to discuss the consequences that should face Snyder.

He told the Post:

"I’m not sure how that report’s going to come out. But what already has come out is extremely disturbing, and I disagree with the process. And I most likely disagree that we haven’t discussed something more severe such as him being removed as owner. As I said, it’s not something that I’m saying we should do. I’m saying it’s something that has to be given serious consideration."

The last time Snyder and his regime came under investigation, the NFL fined the Commanders $10 million for "fostering a workplace culture where sexual harassment, bullying and intimidation were commonplace," per Will Hobson, Maske, Liz Clarke, Beth Reinhard of the Washington Post. It also resulted in Tanya Snyder, his wife and the team's co-CEO, assuming control of the franchise's daily operations.

However, Irsay said he wasn't happy with the lack of input the other owners had in the NFL's punishment at the time.

"It’s not just what was handed down, the $10 million fine and this so-called suspension that I still don’t really understand, because I told Roger and spoke about it at our meeting, that: 'Look, I’ve been in the league 52 years. I wasn’t even asked about this, not consulted one time,'" Irsay said.

His comments echo his previous declaration on Oct. 18 that he believes "there is merit" to removing Snyder as Commanders owner. The NFL requires a vote from at least 24 out of 32 owners to agree to remove an owner, and Irsay said that number "potentially" has been reached already.

The timing of Irsay's most recent comments is interesting, considering the Colts will face the Commanders this week.

"It’s unfortunate that Mr. Irsay continues to behave in a way that clearly is in violation of the constitution of the NFL," a Commanders spokesperson said in a statement to the Washington Post. "We look forward to playing his team on Sunday."

Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera vehemently denied any rumors that Antonio Gibson might be traded before Tuesday's deadline.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Rivera said the third-year running back won't be moved.

Ron Rivera said he'll talk to Antonio Gibson directly about the rumors of them taking trade calls. "I don't know why people throw stuff up against the wall."

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) October 28, 2022

Jordan Schultz of The Score reported on Friday morning that opposing teams have called the Commanders about Gibson, but there was a sense they preferred to keep him.

Earlier this week, Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports noted Gibson could bring back "a nice return" for the Commanders if they decided to move him.

Gibson's role in Washington has decreased slightly with J.D. McKissic and Brian Robinson Jr. getting the bulk of the reps. He is averaging a career-low 13.2 touches per game through the first seven weeks.

The change in role for Gibson comes as he's been less effective as a running back. He averaged 4.7 yards per attempt as a rookie, but that number dropped to 4.0 in 2021 and 3.8 so far this season.

Washington has increased Gibson's usage as a receiver in 2022. He's averaging a career-high 3.1 receptions per game and 7.7 yards per catch.

Gibson has been one of Washington's most productive offensive players since entering the league. He surpassed 1,000 yards from scrimmage in 2020 and 2021. The 24-year-old has one more year remaining on his rookie contract with a $1.3 million base salary in 2023.

Coming off back-to-back wins following a 1-4 start, the Commanders find themselves in contention for a wild-card spot in a crowded NFC. They are one of six teams heading into Week 8 with a 3-4 record and one game behind the Los Angeles Rams as the No. 7 seed.

The Washington Commanders could "get a nice return" on running back Antonio Gibson should the team trade the third-year pro, per Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports.

Gibson has fallen on the team's running back depth chart behind rookie Brian Robinson, who had 22 touches for 86 yards in a 23-21 win over the Green Bay Packers last Sunday.

The former Memphis star did see playing time thanks to 13 touches for 77 yards and a score, but he had amassed just 14 touches in his previous two games overall compared to Robinson's 26.

The Commanders also utilize J.D. McKissic in their backfield primarily as a pass-catcher.

Gibson is averaging a career-low 3.8 yards, but he's a versatile and tough back capable of being the top player in a team's backfield.

He's also two years removed from amassing 1,042 yards and 11 touchdowns on just 206 touches for the NFC East-winning Washington Football Team in 2020. Last year Gibson rushed for over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career.

It appeared that Robinson had the upper hand in training camp, when Gibson was seen working with special teams. He also started over Gibson in the preseason and appeared destined to so in the regular season.

However, the rookie missed the first four regular-season games after being shot twice in the right leg during an attempted robbery.

Thankfully, the third-rounder out of Alabama returned in Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans and has since become Washington's RB1 to mark an incredible comeback.

Gibson's time as RB1 in Washington may be over, but there certainly could be a team out there willing to give him a chance if the Commanders are up for a move.

The Washington Commanders announced that quarterback Carson Wentz has been placed on injured reserve because of a fractured finger suffered on Oct. 13 during a 12-7 road win over the Chicago Bears. He will be out for at least the next four games.

Per Commanders senior writer Zach Selby, Wentz underwent successful surgery Saturday in Los Angeles.

Wentz will miss Sunday's home matchup with the Green Bay Packers, an Oct. 30 road game at the Indianapolis Colts, a Nov. 6 home game with the Minnesota Vikings and a Nov. 14 Monday Night Football showdown at the Philadelphia Eagles. He's eligible to return on Nov. 20 at the Houston Texans.

That means Wentz will sit against his two previous teams, the Eagles and Colts. He played for Philadelphia from 2016 to 2020 before starting for Indianapolis last year.

Taylor Heinicke, who served as the team's starting quarterback last season, will take over for Wentz. The former Old Dominion star completed 65.0 percent of his passes for 20 touchdowns (15 interceptions) in 2021.

Through six games, Wentz completed 62.1 percent of his passes for 10 touchdowns (six interceptions) and 1,489 yards. He's also been sacked an NFL-high 23 times.

The 2017 Pro Bowler arrived in Washington after the Commanders traded for him in March. The deal essentially amounts to a one-year trial in Washington as the Commanders can release Wentz after this season without any dead-cap penalty, per Over the Cap.

The 2-4 Commanders have gotten off to a rough start that includes a four-game losing streak, but a strong defensive performance got them back in the win column. They'll look to stay there Sunday against the Packers at 1 p.m. ET.

Former Washington Commanders tight end Chris Cooley isn't planning on attending an upcoming ceremony honoring legends of the franchise.

"I don't have any interest in doing this," Cooley said Wednesday on The Kevin Sheehan Show (one-hour mark). "I'm very appreciative of being voted in and I'm very appreciative of my time when I was there with [Washington]. At this point, I don’t have a lot of desire to be involved with the Washington Commanders."

The 40-year-old spent nine seasons in the nation's capital and was a two-time Pro Bowler. He's fifth all-time in receptions (429) and ninth in receiving yards (4,711).

In June, the Commanders announced they were going to add 10 more players to their list of greatest ever, bringing the overall total to 90 to coincide with their 90th anniversary. Cooley was among those to make the cut.

The new additions to our 𝟗𝟎 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 👏 pic.twitter.com/hFhl8vODP5

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) September 1, 2022

Many will see Cooley's decision to distance himself from the organization as a reflection of the current dysfunction in which the Commanders find themselves mired.

The NFL removed Daniel Snyder from day-to-day duties as team owner in July 2021 following an investigation into Washington's workplace culture after allegations of sexual harassment, verbal and emotional abuse and a generally toxic environment within the franchise. ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr., Seth Wickersham and Tisha Thompson reported the outside perception is that little has changed inside the franchise.

The ESPN report also alleged Snyder used private investigators to unearth unflattering information about other NFL owners, coaches and team executives, a claim the team denied.

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay was the first to publicly say removing Snyder from the NFL ownership ranks is something at least worth considering.

With all of the off-field drama, the Commanders continue to be a mess on the field as well. They're last in the NFC East at 2-4 and look destined to miss the playoffs for the sixth time in seven years.

It's possible Daniel Snyder's time as the Washington Commanders owner could be drawing to a close.

"I believe there is merit to removing him as owner," Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay told reporters regarding the embattled Snyder.

He added that there may be the required 24 owners around the league willing to vote out Snyder:

Jim Irsay says he believes “potentially” there are 24 votes to remove Dan Snyder. “We’re not gonna vote today.”

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) October 18, 2022

"You have to protect the game, you have protect what we're about," Irsay added. "This isn't what we're about."

Jim Irsay is holding court with reporters going on 10 minutes, talking about why Dan Snyder should be forced to sell his team. I’ve been to a lot of owners meetings and this is unprecedented to see one speak out so forcefully against another pic.twitter.com/GTHVOMsubH

— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) October 18, 2022

The Commanders said in a statement that Snyder does not plan to sell the team:

From a #Commanders spokesperson stating Dan and Tanya Snyder will not sell the team. pic.twitter.com/Z0Tf3mFkxS

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 18, 2022

Snyder also sent the following letter to his fellow owners on Tuesday:

Dan Snyder sent this letter to his fellow NFL owners today: pic.twitter.com/HxrM5KOte0

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 18, 2022

"It's an ongoing investigation, when Mary Jo White is done with the investigation, we'll share the report," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters later on Tuesday. "... There’s no reason for speculation until we have [it]."

Irsay also responded to the report from ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr., Seth Wickersham and Tisha Thompson that Snyder believed he had dug up enough dirt to "blow up" a number of powerful figures around the NFL, including Goodell, and had hired private investigators to do so.

1) WOW.

2) Irsay is a very influential owner among his peers, so do not overlook that.

3) Yes, he has a past. We know. Everyone knows. Which is probably why he doesn't give a damn. https://t.co/RaQ53FNgI1

— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) October 18, 2022

Snyder had also reportedly categorized the NFL as "a mafia" to an associate, per ESPN's report, and said that "all the owners hate each other."

"That's not true," a veteran owner countered in the report. "All the owners hate Dan."

One of the figures Snyder reportedly had investigated was Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who was singing a far different tune than Irsay before Tuesday's owner meetings.

"No, I don't think that'll be something discussed," he told reporters regarding Snyder's situation. "That's more a media thing than it is an internal thing. No, I don't think that'll be a highlighted item at all."

From NFL Now: Jerry Jones is still behind #Commanders owner Daniel Snyder, and unless that changes, not much else will. pic.twitter.com/rcSgQToXGZ

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 18, 2022

There have been conflicting reports regarding where Jones—one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful of the NFL owners—stands with Snyder. ESPN's report noted that "Jones recently told confidants that he 'might not be able' to protect Snyder any longer."

"Snyder's already lost Jerry," a senior executive close to Jones added in that report.

Snyder, through his attorneys and team spokespeople, has denied having his fellow owners investigated.

Snyder, 57, is currently being investigated by the House Reform and Oversight Committee for his organization's alleged history of sexual harassment, misconduct and workplace toxicity, along with a separate investigation into potential financial improprieties.

The NFL had previously investigated the organization's workplace culture, fining Washington $10 million in 2021, though they didn't make the findings of that investigation public.

But the Commanders have remained a source of turmoil and bad publicity for the NFL, and it appears there is a growing push to have Snyder removed from the league. The fact that Irsay was willing to publicly say as much is telling.

A lawyer representing former Washington Commanders employees sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell alleging the league violated confidentiality agreements with women who testified in the investigation into the Commanders' workplace culture.

Attorney Lisa Banks said four of her clients were approached by private investigators believed to have been hired by Commanders owner Dan Snyder after the NFL shared information on the investigation with the organization, per Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham of ESPN.

A previous ESPN report, which is cited by Banks in her letter, said attorneys hired by the Commanders enlisted private investigators to "harass" former employees who cooperated with the investigation. Snyder is alleged to have compiled an "enemies list" from information obtained by the NFL investigation.

"If true, this was in clear violation of a very specific promise the NFL made to our clients, through Ms. Wilkinson and her team, that witness names would be kept confidential and not shared with Mr. Snyder or the Washington Commanders," Banks wrote.

"If true, the 'tip sheet' allegation is not only morally reprehensible, but it also provides the basis for us to take legal action against the NFL, which we will do given the serious harm caused to our clients by their reliance on the NFL's promises."

A Commanders spokesperson later released a statement in response to Banks’ letter:

“Neither the Team nor Mr. Snyder was ever advised by the NFL, Ms. Wilkinson, or anyone else, about the progress of the investigation, or who had been interviewed in connection with it -- either during the investigation or afterwards. Even now, the team and Mr. Snyder have not received any information from the NFL or Ms. Wilkinson on these matters. ESPN was advised of this fact before they ran their story last week, but proceeded to go forward with the story, based on their discussions with 'unnamed sources.' The story was false last week, and it is false today.”

The NFL fined the Commanders $10 million and Snyder relinquished day-to-day control over the franchise after an investigation found he presided over a toxic work environment that included sexual harassment of female employees, bullying and other forms of intimidation.

No formal report was ever made public. Instead, Goodell had investigator Beth Wilkinson give an oral presentation of her findings to him, and then he levied the punishment. Wilkinson has not expounded on her investigation beyond her meeting with Goodell.

In a Congressional hearing on the matter, Goodell said he preferred the oral report because it allowed people who cooperated with the investigation to maintain anonymity.

"We determined that a comprehensive oral briefing would best allow us to receive the information necessary both to evaluate the workplace as it was, and to ensure that the team put in place the policies and processes to reform that workplace—all while preserving the confidentiality of those who participated in the investigation," Goodell said in June.

The NFL and the Commanders had a "common interest agreement" to share information throughout Wilkinson's investigation. Banks said the agreement was highly unusual, and her clients began facing harassment almost immediately after the NFL took over the investigation.

The attorney also alleged that one team employee who cooperated was fired after the NFL privately released a witness list.

Washington Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz is set to miss around a month of action, if not more, after suffering a fractured ring finger.

It’ll be Taylor Heinicke for the #Commanders with these four games on deck:

vs. #Packers
at #Colts
vs. #Vikings
at #Eagles https://t.co/EwMdrAnvhE

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 17, 2022

With Wentz out, Taylor Heinecke is the next man up on the Commanders' depth chart.

The 29-year-old played in 16 games (15 starts) in 2021 for Washington. He completed 65 percent of his passes for 20 touchdowns, 15 interceptions and 3,419 yards (6.9 yards per attempt). He also rushed for 313 yards and one score.

Per Pro Football Reference, Heinecke finished last year ranked 25th out of 33 qualifiers in quarterback rating and 24th in ESPN's QBR metric. He was 22nd in both Football Outsiders' DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) and DYAR (defense-adjusted yards above replacement) stats.

The Old Dominion product's best career game occurred in the 2020 NFC Wild Card Round against the eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He completed 26-of-44 passes for 309 yards and one touchdown (one interception). He also rushed for 46 yards and one more score.

Heinecke's rushing ability makes him a decent enough option as a backup quarterback or fringe option in two-quarterback leagues. He's shown enough with his arm as well to make rosters as a backup.

His rankings are a drop down from Wentz's 2021 work with the Indianapolis Colts (13th in quarterback rating, 10th in QBR, 16th in both Football Outsiders' DVOA and DYAR), but Heinecke wasn't necessarily a hindrance for Washington skill-position players to produce.

McLaurin caught 77 passes for 1,053 yards and five touchdowns last year, and he has a somewhat disappointing 22/367/1 stat line this year. According to FantasyPros, he finished 29th among all wideouts (10-game minimum) in fantasy points per game in point-per-reception leagues. His 130 targets were 13th-most in the NFL among wideouts.

Gibson rushed for 1,037 yards and seven touchdowns on 258 carries last year. He also caught 42 passes for 294 yards and three scores. He scored the 17th-most points per game among all running backs in PPR leagues last year, per FantasyPros.

This year, however, he has lost his starting role to rookie Brian Robinson, who has rushed 26 times for 82 yards and a score in two games. He's a strong flex candidate with legitimate RB2 upside.

McLaurin, meanwhile, is still a flex option. Gibson is more of an RB4 unless he regains his starting gig back from Robinson.

It's hard to trust anyone else on the Washington side, though. Curtis Samuel has 50 targets though six games and 34 catches for 287 yards and two scores, though showed far more chemistry with Wentz under center than he ever did with Heinecke last season. Keep him in consideration for your flex, but don't be surprised if Wentz's injury hurts his fantasy stock.

Jahan Dotson has cooled off after a hot start, catching 12 passes for 122 yards and four scores. He's on the flex radar as well, though his touchdown reliance thus far in the season likely isn't sustainable.

Logan Thomas was Washington's top tight end last year and fared well in limited action (18 catches, 196 yards, three touchdowns in six games), but hamstring and knee injuries forced him out of action. He started the season on the physically unable to perform list due to the knee injury and in four games has 13 receptions for 106 yards and a score.

In sum, there are probably no players on this roster who are unquestionable starters, with McLaurin and Robinson likely being the most reliable going forward. Heinecke is fine enough as a backup, and everyone else is difficult to trust for one reason or another.

Washington Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz underwent successful surgery on his finger injury Monday and is expected to make a full recovery.

pic.twitter.com/POnPCA1bsh

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 17, 2022

While the team did not announce a timeline, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported Wentz's doctor provided a four-week recovery timetable:

#Commanders QB Carson Wentz received from his doctor a four-week recovery timeline post-finger surgery, per source. Wentz is in Los Angeles for the procedure. Washington has yet to decide whether to place Wentz on IR.

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 18, 2022

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo previously reported Wentz was expected to miss the next four to six weeks with the injury.

As a result of the potential recovery timeline, the Commanders reportedly are considering placing Wentz on injured reserve, which would require him to miss at least four games.

Wentz's injury opens the door for Taylor Heinicke to run the offense, and the change may not be much of a downgrade to the offense.

Heinicke was serviceable as the starter in 2021, throwing for 3,419 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He ranked 23rd in QBR (45.8), per ESPN.com, which is better than Wentz's current position (27th; 34.1).

The MMQB's Albert Breer speculated Heinicke's ascension "will open up the playbook for the offensive staff" because of the continuity he carries over from last year.

Amid a 2-4 start, Washington could decide to put its short-term fortunes aside to give fifth-round draft pick Sam Howell an extended look instead. Qualifying for the postseason is already going to be an uphill climb, so why not see whether Howell is worthy of QB1 status.

Regardless of whether it's Heinicke or Howell under center, it's not a stretch to say fans might have seen the last of Wentz as the Commanders' starter.

Washington can easily move on from him in the offseason since none of his $26.2 million salary hit will count against the cap if he's cut. The franchise has a vested interest in limiting his usage before then as well.

Will the #Commanders slow play Carson Wentz's return from injury to ensure he doesn't account for 70% of the snaps this season?

Keeping their traded 2023 pick to Indy a 3rd rounder instead of a 2nd rounder certainly benefits Washington.

— Spotrac (@spotrac) October 17, 2022

If things are going well with Heinicke, then head coach Ron Rivera can point to that as a reason to keep Wentz on the bench once he's healthy enough to play again. If the season continues going off the rails, then Rivera could plausibly argue there's no harm in playing Howell and looking toward next year.

Either way, Wentz's injury may have hastened the inevitable.

Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera once again said that he was the person who advocated for Carson Wentz in a fiery exchange with reporters on Thursday night, after ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr., Seth Wickersham and Tisha Thompson reported earlier in the day that it was owner Daniel Snyder who pushed to trade for Wentz this offseason.

"Everybody keeps saying I didn't want anything to do with Carson," Rivera said in his postgame comments after Washington's 12-7 win over the Chicago Bears. "Well bulls--t. I'm the f--king guy that pulled out the sheets of paper, looked at the analytics, that watched the tape when we were freaking in Indianapolis, OK? And that's what pisses me off. Because the young man doesn't deserve to have that all the time."

Ron Rivera VERY fired up responding to a question about a report that he didn’t pick Carson, Synder did: pic.twitter.com/jx6oObewu1

— Michele Steele (@MicheleSteele) October 14, 2022

Earlier in the day, Washington also released a statement on behalf of Rivera regarding Wentz:

To clarify: This is the statement Washington sent to ESPN on behalf of Rivera.

— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) October 13, 2022

That was in contrast to ESPN's reporting, with one source familiar with the Wentz trade saying it was " 100 percent a Dan move."

ESPN's reporting added that current and former executives and team staffers have told people around the league that Snyder pushed for Wentz.

The timing of that reporting couldn't have been much worse for the organization after Rivera raised eyebrows earlier in the week when he was asked why the then 1-4 Commanders were lagging behind the rest of the teams in the NFC East, which came into Week 6 a combined 13-2, and promptly answered "quarterback."

He attempted to make the point that the other quarterbacks in the division have had more time with their current teams and the chance to grow in those systems, while Wentz is still adjusting to his time in Washington.

Coach Ron Rivera shares his thoughts on why the Commanders are trailing other NFC East teams. pic.twitter.com/DGiNxqKIkc

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) October 10, 2022

This was Ron Rivera's main point today. That Carson Wentz showed improvement yesterday and should keep improving as he acclimates to the offense. https://t.co/UhtlkQPctY

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 10, 2022

The public perception, however, was that Rivera was scapegoating Wentz and left the quarterback out to dry.

On Tuesday, Rivera said he apologized to Wentz for the remarks and how they were perceived nationally.

"Carson and I had a nice conversation, so I think we're ready to roll," he told reporters.

"Coach addressed it, handled it, nothing for me that I'm overly concerned about," Wentz added. "Coach is a very straightforward, upfront guy. He addressed it in the team meeting, which I thought was really cool, in what he meant by it all. I feel very confident in that."

It clearly remains something of a sensitive subject for Rivera, however, even after the Commanders pulled out an ugly win on Thursday Night Football.