Getty Washington Commanders wide receiver Byron Pringle.
The Washington Commanders hope they can find a way to get a player they’re familiar with to learn a new skill.
The Commanders re-signed wide receiver Byron Pringle on July 31 with the hopes Pringle can make the roster as a return specialist and take advantage of the NFL’s new kickoff rules.
From ESPN: “The Commanders also added receiver Byron Pringle, who will compete for a role as a kick returner (he’s never returned a punt in the NFL) and the fifth or sixth receiver spot.”
Pringle has made arguably his biggest impact in his first four NFL seasons as a kick returner, where he has 1,237 kick return yards and 1 touchdowns, including a career-high 621 return yards for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021.
Pringle Won Super Bowl With Kansas City Chiefs
Pringle made the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent out of Kansas State and won a Super Bowl following the 2019 season.
Pringle played his first four seasons with the Chiefs and had his best season as a wide receiver in 2021 with 60 receptions for 568 yards and 5 touchdowns. He played for the Chicago Bears in 2022 and for the Commanders in 2023.
The 2024 season will be the third consecutive year Pringle has played on a one-year contract. He made $4.25 million with the Bears in 2022 and approximately $1 million with the Commanders in 2023, when he had 22 receptions for 161 yards and returned 9 kicks for 251 yards.
Can Pringle Crack Commanders’ WR Rotation?
While Pringle would be counted on big in the return game were he to make the Commanders’ 53-man roster, he’d have to show there can be added value at wide receiver.
“The first four (wide receivers) are likely Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Dyami Brown and rookie Luke McCaffrey,” wrote ESPN’s John Keim. “Olamide Zaccheaus is another strong possibility. Veteran punt returner Jamison Crowder is vying for one of the last spots as well.”
The Commanders finished 18th in the NFL in passing in 2023, with McLaurin leading the team with 79 receptions for 1,002 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns. Even more impressive for McLaurin? He was able to crack the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the fourth consecutive season despite only having one game over 100 receiving yards and a game where he didn’t catch a single pass in a 45-15 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Dec. 3.
There’s reason for the Commanders to hope not only their passing game but the entire fortunes of their franchise will turn around sooner than later thanks to rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Daniels won the Heisman Trophy at LSU in 2023 and seems like a pro-ready quarterback who could change the Commanders’ trajectory.
Over the course of his college career, Daniels started an incredible 55 games and set the NCAA single-season record with a 208.0 passer rating in 2023. He’s also the only player in FBS history with 12,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards.
“With five seasons of starting experience under his belt, Daniels possesses a rare blend of playmaking talent and command from the pocket,” NFL analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. “He’s tall but slender, so there will be concerns about durability, considering how often he ran in college.”
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