The Washington Commanders have some critical injuries they are trying to stem the bleeding on, so to speak, before the regular-season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on September 13.
Most notably, they only kept 3 cornerbacks on their 53-man roster, and the 1 player on the roster that could even — sort of — be called a legit cover cornerback is Trey Amos, and he’s hurt.
With Amos starting the season on injured reserve and set to miss the 1st 4 games, at least, expect some roster maneuvers from the Commanders — the 1st of which we saw on Tuesday when they signed cornerback and 2023 Chicago Bears draft pick Terell Smith.
“The Commanders have signed former Bears CB Terrell Smith to their practice squad,” The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov wrote on his official X account on Tuesday. “Former 5th-round pick in 2023 has totaled 68 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 10 pass deflections, and 1 INT in his young career.”
“The Commanders signed CB Terrell Smith to the practice squad,” ESPN’s John Keim wrote on X. “That’s now 17 on the PS.”
“In related news, the Commanders have now signed CB Terrell Smith to the practice squad,” Commanders reporter Ben Standig wrote on his official X account on Tuesday. “That fills the group.”
Terell Smith Started 6 Games in 1st 2 Seasons
Smith, 6-foot and 207 pounds, played in 26 games with 6 starts over his 1st 2 seasons with the Bears but suffered a torn patellar tendon that landed him on injured reserve in the 2025 preseason and wound up costing him the entire season.
NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein projected Smith as a 4th-round pick after he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine following a standout career at the University of Minnesota.
Deflating Injury to Trey Amos Before Regular Season
News of Amos being put on injured reserve was a punch in the gut to Commanders fans — especially after he was coming off a fractured fibula suffered late in his rookie season in 2025.
“Amos appeared in 10 games in 2025 before he broke his fibula, prematurely ending his rookie campaign,” Commanders Wire’s Serena Burks wrote on August 30. “He returned to practice this summer, but sprained his ankle on the same leg that was broken shortly after that. He is not expected to miss significant time with the Commanders, citing caution as the reason he was placed on IR.”
Commanders Sign Former Bears Draft Pick to Depleted Secondary