After more than a year of developing edge rusher T.J. Maguranyanga, the Washington Commanders bid farewell to the 23-year-old Friday.
According to the NFL transaction wire, the Commanders waived Maguranyanga with an injury settlement.
With the move, Maguranyanga will become a free agent able to sign with whichever team he chooses once he’s healthy. If he had remained on Washington’s injured reserve, rules would have required him to sit out the entire season.
The Commanders waived Maguranyanga with an injury on roster cutdown day. After he cleared waivers Monday, he reverted back to the team’s IR.
A former rugby player, Maguranyanga entered the NFL as part of the league’s International Player Pathway Program (IPP). He signed with the Commanders in April 2025.
Maguranyanga played wing in rugby, which is similar to wide receiver or running back. But he was trying to use the physicality he developed through rugby to play defense in the NFL.
Last season, he played in one game for the Commanders. During that contest, which was Week 13 versus the Denver Broncos, Maguranyanga played 11 snaps on defense.
Commanders Waive T.J. Maguranyanga With Injury Settlement
The NFL established its IPP program in 2017 with the aim of growing the popularity of American football across the world. Through the program, young men across different continents are getting opportunities to play football for the first time.
While raw talent, those prospects have athletic traits either undeveloped or previously used in other sports. The latter was the case with Maguranyanga.
Before signing with the Commanders, Maguranyanga, who was born in Harare, Zimbabwe, never wore pads or took part in a full-contact American football practice.
“It’s definitely a big adjustment,” Maguranyanga said after his first padded practice with the Commanders in July 2025. “It’s still just as physical as rugby, but just in a different way.
“With pads, you can manipulate and get manipulated in different ways than you can in rugby. So just adjusting to that and getting used to that is a big change.”
IPP players are exempt from occupying a roster spot. That distinct advantage allows them to remain with clubs for a long time — years in some cases — to develop.
Unfortunately for Maguranyanga, his tenure with the Commanders has ended. But he’s likely to get another shot when healthy because of the roster exemption.
In his lone game with the Commanders, Maguranyanga made one tackle.
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