Jonathan Allen spent eight seasons with the Washington Commanders, earning two Pro Bowls while with the team. However, following their front-office rebuild in Ashburn, VA, after the purchase of the Commanders in 2023, the team's new ownership has come with a new vision in place. And in their new vision, their two-time Pro Bowler defensive lineman didn't seem to be a part of their process, causing the Commanders to release Allen. Upon getting released, Jonathan Allen signed with the Minnesota Vikings, setting his sights on success alongside former Commanders offensive coordinator and current Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell.
In an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show on Saturday, Allen gave an inside peek at how his release came to fruition, along with showing his excitement about the new journey with Minnesota.
“In the NFL, it's very hard to play your entire career on one [team], you know,” Allen said via JayDanielsMVP on X. “A new regime came in. They had a path that they wanted to follow, and I wasn't a part of that. So, I mean, I gotta give them a lot of credit for doing me a favor of releasing me when they did, but you know, things just didn't work out for whatever reason.
“But, super excited,” Allen added. “Super, super excited to be part of this new team and reunite with coach O'Connell.”
Now, Allen is spot on with his first statement. It's nearly impossible to stay on one team throughout one's career, and it's only getting tougher. With the amount of money players can gain by exercising the right to explore other teams, it's not easy for NFL players to stick with one team throughout their entire career, especially when it starts getting close to 10 years.
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Even in the traditional workplace, spending a decade at a job is impressive. It's not an even one-to-one comparison, but it's there.
So, although Allen has produced well throughout his career, it appeared Adam Peters had different plans with the defensive line, as the Commanders are only one year separated from drafting Jer'Zhan “Johnny” Newton in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
If they plan on getting him more involved on the defensive line, allowing an aging veteran to test free agency makes sense. It opens the lane for a younger player, Newton, to develop into a potentially better player than Allen. Sure, it's a gamble, but they were seemingly willing to take it.
So, although Allen was a staple of the Commanders — and all of their other names throughout franchise history — over the last eight seasons, there's no ill will towards Washington. In fact, he appreciated how they handled a situation that had the potential to get sticky.
Now, the two-time Pro Bowler is ready to suit up in the Purple and Gold with the Vikings and make his new home in Eagan, MI.
