Washington Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney. Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Commanders get back DE from suspension

Originally posted on Gridiron Heroics | By Jordan Sigler | Last updated 4/19/24

The Washington Commanders are set to get back one of the defensive ends they started with in the 2023 offseason. Since the last offseason, the Commanders have seen several significant changes to the team, especially at the defensive end.

The Washington Commanders lost two DEs last season

The Commanders traded away Montez Sweat to the Chicago Bears and Chase Young to the San Francisco 49ers. They eventually fired head coach Ron Rivera and brought in Dan Quinn. The Commanders also had to keep their 2021 seventh-round pick, Shaka Toney, on the roster but away from the team last season.

The NFL reinstated Shaka Toney

Toney and a few other NFL players were suspended last offseason concerning sports betting. Toney was the only player suspended for gambling last season that was not released by their team.

According to Tom Pelissero with the NFL Network, the league reinstated Toney from his suspension on Thursday. He is free to join a Commanders team that could use the depth at pass-rusher.

Of the group, only Shaka Toney wasn't released and is now eligible to participate in offseason activities with Washington. Cephus, Moore, Taylor and Berry also can sign with clubs. https://t.co/j75Q1z8MJH

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 18, 2024

The Commanders kept Toney for a reason

Toney didn’t get much playing time behind Young and Sweat. He’s played in 26 games and has a total of 16 tackles and 1.5 sacks in the two regular seasons he’s played. However, the Commanders must believe he is talented enough to contribute more to the team if they kept him through the one-year suspension.

This article first appeared on Gridiron Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: