NFL Team Signs Another Off Washington Commanders' Practice Squad

The Washington Commanders have watched a second practice squad departure materialize.

Cornerback Terell Smith was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday, one of three signings the organization announced coming out of week four.

Smith becomes the second player to be signed off Washington's practice squad in as many days after running back Robert Henry Jr. inked with the Seattle Seahawks, one of two signings announced by the team on Monday before Joe Mixon's arrival fizzled out on Tuesday due to injuries.

The departure is notable for Washington given the ongoing struggles for Mike Sainristil as he falls out of the rotation in the early stages of year three, while a timeline to return for Trey Amos ahead of his year two remains unclear even after being eligible to come off the injured reserve.

A former fifth round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Smith began his professional career with the Chicago Bears after appearing in 26 games through his first two seasons, amassing one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in addition to 68 total tackles. He also registered ten pass deflections and 3.5 stuffs, yet after Smith suffered a torn patellar tendon during preseason that derailed his 2025 season, he found himself part of Chicago's final round of roster cuts ahead of the 2026 regular season.

Smith arrived in Washington two days after his tenure in Chicago ended and was part of a finalized practice squad. He was never elevated to the active roster as defensive coordinator Daronte Jones instead primarily turned to Rasul Douglas and Amik Robertson with Fabian Moreau now rounding out the secondary.

Who Washington turns to now fill two vacancies along the practice squad remains a question for general manager Adam Peters and the front office to answer with injuries piling up on the active roster, though head coach Dan Quinn will look for right guard Sam Cosmi and safety Nick Cross to be part of the group of injured starters who return to game action this upcoming weekend. That includes quarterback Jayden Daniels, who remains unclear if he will make his first return since suffering a dislocated elbow in the week two loss against the Cowboys in Dallas.

Washington will face quarterback Jameis Winston and the New York Giants this weekend at Northwest Stadium in the first meeting between the two teams in 2026, yet already the Commanders' third divisional matchup through five weeks.