Hogs Haven
Washington Post (paywall)
The 39-year-old quarterback, who has played for 14 NFL teams, will step in for the injured Marcus Mariota.
This will be Johnson’s first start since 2021, when he was a member of the Baltimore Ravens. He struggled last week when called upon to replace Mariota against the Eagles, but the coaching staff still feels confident in his abilities.
Quinn said Jeff Driskel, whom the Commanders signed off Arizona’s practice squad this week, will back up Johnson in Thursday’s game. Washington promoted Sam Hartman from the practice squad to the active roster, and he will serve as the third emergency quarterback on game day.
The Athletic (paywall)
[Jeff Driskel] received word just minutes before kickoff Sunday, then hopped on a red-eye flight to the D.C. area Monday morning, landing just in time to take a physical and join the Commanders’ morning meetings before taking the field for a walkthrough and then practice.
His locker had yet to receive a nameplate and instead was designated by the two suitcases parked in front.
“It’s way more common than people think,” he said with a grin. “You get used to it.”
Such is the life of the emergency signing, players acquired on short notice to step in for depth or even a starting role and make it all somehow look seamless, as if they had practiced for months, not hours, with teammates whose names they’ve yet to fully learn.
Common? Sure — in the NFL, where injuries are all but guaranteed each weekend.
But easy? Hardly. The trick is making it appear so. Behind the scenes, NFL teams do this weekly, with emergency lists of free agents and practice squad players, and a well-rehearsed operation involving staffers from multiple departments bringing in new players on a moment’s notice.
A to Z Sports
He will still be rewarded after the season with a new contract, though.
Despite being 4-11, there have been some players who have played like the Super Bowl was on the line. Individual performances should still be rewarded, no matter how bad the season has been. That’s what the Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors are for.
There are a lot of great offensive tackles in the NFC, but Tunsil has been the best, and it’s not even close. Penei Sewell, Trent Williams, and Tristan Wirfs were all selected to represent the NFC, and Tunsil has been better than all three of them this season.
Despite being a Pro Bowl snub, Tunsil still has a chance at All-Pro honors for the first time in his career, and more importantly, a new contract. [Tunsil had his contract reworked at the start of the season,...
