The Washington Commanders have come under scrutiny for their roster in the last few weeks — a growing concern that seemed to begin with a disastrous joint practice with the Baltimore Ravens and picked up steam after an embarrassing 41-3 defeat at the hands of the Ravens in the preseason finale.
While the outside world continues to criticize the Commanders, the Commanders are still making moves to win games, including signing 2 tight ends to the practice squad on Tuesday as veteran backup tight end Ben Sinnott deals with an injury issue.
“Washington signed 4 more to the practice squad today: T Esa Pole, TE Joshua Simon, TE Jack Westover and CB Isaac Yiadom,” ESPN’s John Keim wrote on X on Tuesday morning. “They now have 16 players on the PS.”
“The Commanders add two tight ends to the PS at point where Ben Sinnott is dealing with an oblique injury,” Commanders reporter Ben Standig wrote on his official X account on Tuesday.
Westover, 6-foot-3 and 252 pounds, played for the New England Patriots the last 2 seasons. Simon, 6-foot-4 and 239 pounds, spent 2025 on the Atlanta Falcons practice squad and was 1 of their final roster cuts on Sunday.
Simon Named All-Conference at 2 Different Schools
Simon was an All-Conference selection at 2 different schools — 1st as a Freshman All-American and 2-time All-Conference USA pick at Western Kentucky before earning All-SEC honors at South Carolina in 2024.
At South Carolina, Simon actually made program history in 2024 by becoming the 1st player in school history to lead the team in receptions (40), receiving yards (519) and receiving touchdowns (7).
Westover, who also played fullback for the Patriots, played 6 seasons of college football at the University of Washington, including a spot in the College Football Playoff national championship game in his final season, when he had career highs of 46 receptions for 433 yards and 5 total touchdowns.
NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein predicted Westover would be a 7th-round pick or priority free agent in his pre-draft evaluation.
“H-back prospect with good quickness and footwork as a pass catcher underneath,” Zierlein wrote in 2024. “Westover figures to be targeted as an F tight end with fullback potential. He’s not a very strong blocker at the point but there are technical corrections that should help him improve in that area. He’s capable of uncovering underneath and has the speed to threaten the seam. He’s a wily zone-beater but is fairly pedestrian after the catch. Westover will have a shot to make the roster for a team looking to operate out of heavier personnel groupings.”
Ben Sinnott Praised for Versatility in Offseason
After a disappointing 1st 2 seasons, Sinnott finds himself with a career reprieve of sorts after offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury was fired and replaced with 1st time offensive coordinator David Blough.
Through his 1st 2 seasons, Sinnott has just 16 receptions for 142 yards and 2 touchdowns.
“Washington’s tight ends have been far more active as a group than they had been the previous two seasons,” ESPN’s John Keim wrote on July 30. “Newly-signed Chig Okonkwo can be used all over, with wide receiver Terry McLaurin saying he runs routes like a big receiver. That versatility was evident again Thursday, but it’s also not just Okonkwo — all the tight ends, including 2024 second-round pick Ben Sinnott, have run a wider variety of routes.”
Commanders Sign Patriots TE to Address Injury Issues