3 cut candidates for Commanders 53-man roster ahead of deadline ft. Sam Hartman

The Washington Commanders were a major surprise team last season, as the Commanders made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game.

Washington now enters the season with hopes of winning the Super Bowl as the Commanders are led by quarterback Jayden Daniels. Ahead of the season, Washington needs to cut down to a 53-man roster.

Ahead of cut-down day, here are three players who could be cut candidates for the Commanders.

3 cut candidates for Commanders' 53-man roster

#1, Sam Hartman, QB

Washington has Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota locked in as the starter and backup, and Josh Johnson has outperformed Sam Hartman to be the third-string quarterback.

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Johnson adds some veteran insurance to the roster, while there is a chance Hartman is cut and added back to the practice roster.

ESPN insider John Kein expected Hartman to be cut after he struggled throughout the preseason.

"If Washington keeps three quarterbacks, Saturday's outing for Sam Hartman did not help him at all. Hartman struggled for a third preseason game. He played the entire first half vs. Baltimore, completing 12 of 17 passes for 114 yards and two interceptions -- including a pick-six," Kein wrote.

Hartman went undrafted in 2024 and struggled in training camp and preseason, which could lead to him being cut.

#2, Nick Bellore, LB

Nick Bellore could be the odd man out in the linebacker room for the Washington Commanders.

Bellore went undrafted in 2011 and has been in the NFL since as a solid depth linebacker and special teams player. He appeared in 16 games last season for Washington, recording 21 tackles.

Bellore was in competition with Duke Riley, and Washington could go with the younger option.

#3, Tyler Owens, S

Tyler Owens would be one of the final cuts, but keeping five safeties seems unlikely for the Commanders.

Owens played in 12 games with the Commanders as an undrafted free agent last season, making 11 tackles and one forced fumble.

Owens could very well be put on the practice squad and be a popular practice squad call-up.

Washington opens its 2025 NFL season on Sept. 7 against the New York Giants.

About the author

Cole is an NHL, NFL and College Sports reporter at Sportskeeda with over 7 years of experience writing for publications like CBC, USA Today, SMG, BJPENN, Sherdog and SB Nation.

An NHL fan his whole life, Cole played rep hockey in Canada from age 5 until 17 and grew up rooting for Martin St. Louis and the Tampa Bay Lightning. His all-time favorite players are Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos, while Jon Cooper is his favorite coach of all time.

Cole attended Sheridan College and received his journalism degree in 2019. After decades of watching and reporting, he considers his knowledge of sports as his primary strength. He ensures that the same story has been reported by at least two reputed reporters before creating it.

Cole enjoys playing golf and spending time with friends and family when not reporting breaking stories. His favorite sports moment is from the 2010 Olympics, when Sidney Crosby scored the golden goal in overtime to beat Team USA for the gold medal.

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Edited by Cole Shelton