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Commanders See ‘Underdog’ Former Rugby Star Making Roster Push
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- Commanders See ‘Underdog’ Former Rugby Star Making Roster Push
Washington Commanders edge rusher T.J. Maguranyanga. Getty
If there was ever a year for someone to come out of the blue and make the 53-man roster for the Washington Commanders, it's this year.
There might be 1 of those types of players on the roster in 6-foot-4, 222-pound edge rusher and former French rugby union star T.J. Maguranyanga, whom Riggo's Rag's Dean Jones singled out as the "underdog nobody saw coming" after a standout performance in OTAs and mandatory minicamp.
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"Head coach Dan Quinn singled out one surprising figure who stood out over Washington's offseason program," Jones wrote on June 24. "And even though versatile defensive weapon T.J. Maguranyanga's chances of making the roster remain slim, getting noticed is an achievement in itself … improvements have been made from the former French rugby union star turned NFL pro. He's young enough to keep growing, and considering he had no experience before a 10-week International Player Pathway training camp early last year, the trajectory is pointing up."
Incredibly, Maguranyanga ended up where he is right now with no previous American football experience — he even played in a regular-season game in 2025 after spending most of the season on the practice squad. After his 1st season, Maguranyanga signed a reserve/futures contract for 2026.
"He's got the versatility to play as a stand-up 3-4 outside linebacker or a 3-4 defensive end," Jones wrote. "Maguranyanga can operate as a 4-3 defensive end or even a 3-technique on the interior. Couple this with the dynamism he could bring as a special-teams force, don't count him out just yet."
Breaking Down T.J. Maguranyanga's Path to NFL
One more thing Maguranyanga has going for him is his age. He's still only 23 years old, which is younger than many players selected in the 2026 NFL draft.
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Maguranyanga, born and raised in Zimbabwe, was a rugby superstar coming up in his home country, representing his nation in junior international competitions for the 1st time at just 13 years old.
He was selected as a team captain for the Zimbabwe U-18 Sevens in 2020 It wasn't long after that he embarked on a pro career. Maguranyanga spent his rookie season with the South African Rugby Union's Lions in 2020-21 before spending 3 seasons with ASM Clermont Auvergne in France as part of the National Rugby League — the very highest level in the French league system.
Commanders Made $100M Edge Rusher Investment
The Commanders have made wholesale changes at edge rusher after missing an elite pass rush in 2025 on the way to a 5-12 finish, just 1 year after making it to the NFC Championship Game for the 1st time since 1991.
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Leading the way for those changes was free-agent edge rusher Odafe Oweh , a former 1st round pick who left the Los Angeles Chargers for a 4-year, $100 million contract with the Commanders .
Washington wasn't done there. They also signed veteran edge rusher and former 1st round pick K'Lavon Chaisson to a 1-year, $11 million free-agent contract.
Bleacher Report's Moe Moton singled out signing Chaisson as 1 of the NFL's best offseason moves and made the astute point that Chaisson put up almost similar numbers in 2025 to Oweh.
"The Washington Commanders' prized free-agent pickup is Odafe Oweh, who signed a four-year, $96 million contract," Moton wrote. "K'Lavon Chaisson posted comparable 2025 pass-rushing numbers to Oweh's, finishing with the same number of sacks (7.5) and one fewer pressure. Yet he signed a one-year, $11 million contract. Chaisson is a free-agent steal who will shine on a prove-it deal."
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Chaisson spent 2025 with the New England Patriots on a 1-year, $3 million contract and helped lead them to a Super Bowl appearance.
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