The Washington Commanders are down two quarterbacks following final cuts to get down to a 53-man roster ahead of the regular-season opener.
The Commanders cut former Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman and former Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley on Aug. 27, keeping three quarterbacks on the roster with rookie starter and No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels and a pair of veteran backups with Marcus Mariota and Jeff Driskel.
“We like this QB room …it’s such an important position that you want as many guys that are still developing and really pushing,” Commanders head coach Dan Quinn told NBC 4 Sports reporter JP Finlay when asked about keeping three quarterbacks.
Hartman signed with the Commanders as an undrafted free agent on April 29. McSorley, a sixth-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens, signed with the Commanders on Aug. 15.
The Commanders open the season on Sept. 8 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Hartman, McSorley Were Big-Time College Stars
Hartman was a two-time All-ACC pick at Wake Forest before playing his final season of college football at Notre Dame in 2023. Hartman, who turned 25 years old in July, ended up playing 6 seasons of college football with a redshirt year in 2019 and an added year of eligibility because of the pandemic.
Notre Dame QB Sam Hartman scrambles for a touchdown in the red zone. He’s having a good day so far.
Gotta love the “Gotcha” point at the linebacker after Hartman made him jump with a pump fake.
NFL analyst Lance Zierlein had Hartman projected as a Day 3 pick going in the 6-7 round range and compared him to former Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, who played 13 seasons in the NFL after he was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
McSorley went 31-9 over three seasons as the starter at Penn State from 2016 to 2018, leading Penn State to a Big Ten championship and Fiesta Bowl win. He was a two-time All-Big Ten selection and left school with Penn State records for career total offense (11,596 yards), single-season passing yards (3,617), single-season passing touchdowns (29) and single-season total touchdowns (39).
After being drafted by the Ravens, McSorley was on his sixth team in as many seasons with stints on the Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Commanders Underwent Massive Changes at QB
The Commanders hired a new general manager and new head coach in the offseason with Adam Peters and Quinn, who spent the last three seasons as the defensive coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys.
Peters and Quinn gutted the Commanders’ quarterback room from 2023, trading last year’s starter, Sam Howell, to the Seattle Seahawks. Howell had a year to forget in his lone season as the Commanders’ starter, leading the NFL in interceptions (21) and sacks taken (65). Howell’s backup in 2023, Jacoby Brissett, signed a free-agent contract with the New England Patriots.
The Commanders’ third quarterback in 2023, Jake Fromm, was released in May
Mariota signed a 1-year, $6 million contract with the Commanders after spending 2023 as a backup with the Philadelphia Eagles. Driskel signed a 1-year, $1.125 million contract with the Commanders after spending 2023 as a backup with the Cardinals and Browns.
It was Daniels, however, who was the star of training camp, winning the starting job and earning praise from inside and outside of the organization.
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Commanders Cut Loose Two High-Profile QBs in Final Roster Moves