There weren’t a lot of surprises for the Washington Commanders on Tuesday when they trimmed their roster from 90 players to 53. However, if there was one surprise, it was the release of second-year defensive end K.J. Henry.
Henry, 25, was a fifth-round pick out of Clemson in the 2023 NFL draft. As a rookie, he played in 10 games, making three starts. Henry finished with 19 tackles, including four for loss and 1.5 sacks. However, Washington has a new regime, which includes a new general manager and coaching staff. So, it was a completely new start for Henry.
Henry had a solid training camp, picking up sacks in two of the Commanders’ three games and even received some snaps at defensive tackle in Sunday’s preseason finale. On Wednesday, the Cincinnati Bengals claimed Henry off waivers.
Overall, Washington released 34 players, but only two were claimed by other teams. Henry and third-year cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields. The Carolina Panthers, who were ahead of the Commanders in the waiver priority, picked up Castro-Fields and two other cornerbacks.
Castro-Fields had been with Washington since August 2022, when he was claimed off waivers. A sixth-round pick out of Penn State, Castro-Fields played high school football at Riverdale Baptist in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Castro-Fields appeared in 10 games for the Commanders over the past two years.
