Commanders’ Former First Round Pick Signs With NFC North Contender

Getty Washington Commanders linebacker Jamin Davis.

It didn’t take long for Jamin Davis to find a new home.

The former Washington Commanders first round pick signed with the practice squad of the Green Bay Packers on October 29, just one week after the Commanders released Davis in a shocking move.

The Packers announced the signing on their official website.

“Regardless of his circumstances in Washington, Davis has another opportunity with the Packers to show he can play at this level,” Zone Coverage’s Garrison Anderson wrote. “Davis fits the Packers’ ‘type’ when it comes to linebackers.”

New Commanders Regime Cut Bait on Davis

The Commanders released Davis on October 22, sending the edge rusher packing after the franchise tried a position switch from inside linebacker they hoped would rejuvenate his career.

“(Davis) becomes the fifth first-round pick since 2019 who is no longer with the team,” ESPN’s John Keim wrote following Davis’ release. “The Commanders traded their 2022 first-round pick, receiver Jahan Dotson, to Philadelphia in August. They traded two previous first-rounders — ends Chase Young (2020) and Montez Sweat (2019) last season to San Francisco and Chicago, respectively. Quarterback Dwayne Haskins, who was drafted in 2019, was cut in 2020.”

Davis was a healthy scratch for the Commanders in a Week 6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens but was back on the active roster in a win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 7 in which he had 1 tackle.

Davis had 13 tackles and no sacks in 5 games for the Commanders in 2024.

Davis Fell Short of Expectations With Commanders

Even with a fresh start with a new head coach in Dan Quinn and a new general manager in Adam Peters in 2024, Davis continued to come up short for the Commanders.

Washington had already turned down the fifth year option on Davis’ rookie contract that would have paid him $14.4 million in 2025. Still, Davis was thought to have more value than just a random backup and if the Commanders could have gotten anything back in return for Davis by the November 5 NFL trade deadline — anything — that might have been looked at as a win.

“The truth is that the Commanders have a lot to address before they can really start making some noise,” Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine wrote on June 30. ” … That’s not going to happen during the 2024 season, but shipping off veterans to get cap space and draft capital can help next offseason … Jamin Davis could also be a movable piece. The former first-round pick is a free agent next offseason and the Commanders didn’t exactly show they value him by bringing in both (Bobby) Wagner and Frankie Luvu in free agency this offseason.”

In 2022, Davis started 15 games for the Commanders and finished with a career-high 104 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 9 TFL and 2 fumble recoveries. He missed four games with injury in 2023 but still had 89 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 8 TFL, 4 pass deflections and 2 forced fumbles.

Davis was in the final year of a 4-year, $13.79 million, fully guaranteed rookie contract he signed in 2021.

Headed into training camp, the Commanders only had 57 percent of its 2023 roster back — the lowest number in the NFL — Davis was just the latest casualty.