Reports are circulating out of Washington, D.C. that the Washington Commanders are set to release pass rusher Jonathan Allen if they cannot find a willing trade partner.
Michael Silver of The Athletic is reporting Allen was made aware of the fact his days as a Commander are almost over. Washington is making the move as a cost-cutting measure.
Allen, who has been to two Pro Bowls, has a cap hit of $22.3 million in 2025. Washington will save approximately $16.3 million in cap space if they move Allen, one way or the other, before June 1.
According to spotrac.com, Allen has a scheduled base salary of $15.5 million. The salary is not guaranteed,
ESPN indicated the Seattle Seahawks made inquiries about Allen in 2023 before the trade deadline, but that was before Seattle changed administrations.
Last season was not very good for Allen. He missed nine games with a torn pectoral muscle. He did come back to play in the three postseason games.
Allen, the 17th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft has 42 quarterback sacks in eight seasons with the Commanders. He has started 108 games for Washington over that time
Commanders general manager Adam Peters said at the NFL Scouting Combine Allen approached him about a trade prior to the final year of his contract. Peters said Allen "wanted to be able to explore opportunities".
The parties have had regular contact as Allen and his agent try to work out a deal with another team. Peters said all options were on the table, however Silver is adamant Allen will not return to the Commanders under any circumstances.
Pro Football Talk reported what Peters said at the combine, through one of it's affiliates in Washington.
“Really, everything’s still on the table in terms of whether it’s trade or staying here or whatever,” Peters said, via Heather McDonough of NBC4 in Washington. “We’re still going through that. It’s kind of early in the stages. We haven’t done a lot of exploring yet, but that’s kind of where we’re at right now.”
