The Commanders signed Firkser on Tuesday. Firkser is now joining his fourth different team in three years with offseason workouts underway in Washington. It seems likely at this point that free-agent acquisition Chig Okonkwo, in-line specialist John Bates and 2024 second-rounder Ben Sinnott will make the Commanders' 53-man roster for 2026, so Firkser's path to a roster spot is relatively narrow.
Firkser caught eight of 10 targets for 53 yards over seven contests during the regular season. Firkser signed with the Lions' practice squad in mid-November and was quickly elevated to the active roster ahead of the team's Week 12 matchup with the Giants due to Sam LaPorta (back) being sidelined. The tight end's role quickly expanded after Brock Wright (neck) went down for the year in Week 13, and Firkser ultimately caught at least one pass in four of the seven games he appeared in with the team. Prior to this season, Firkser hadn't reeled in a pass since the 2022 campaign, and he'll now be a free agent heading into the offseason.
Firkser failed to reel in his only target in Thursday's 23-10 loss to the Vikings. Firkser was unable to secure a pass for the second time in three weeks and the third time over six contests since making his season debut Nov. 23. The tight end once again split time with Shane Zylstra in Week 17, and Firkser did garner a target while Zylstra did not. Firkser will have one more chance to reach the end zone for the first time since 2021 when the Lions travel to face the Bears on Jan. 4.