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Commanders signing former SEC Defensive Player of the Year to practice squad
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- Commanders signing former SEC Defensive Player of the Year to practice squad
The Washington Commanders tried out multiple players on Tuesday, their day off, and signed one to the practice squad. Washington is signing defensive end Kyle Kennard to its practice squad, according to Commanders insider Ben Standig.
The 6-foot-4, 254-pound Kennard was released by the Los Angeles Chargers during their final cuts on Aug. 30. A fourth-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft (No. 125 overall), Kennard appeared in five games as a rookie for the Chargers, playing just 80 defensive snaps and 13 special-teams snaps and recording seven tackles.
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Kennard dealt with injuries during his short time in Los Angeles, including a high ankle sprain that limited his reps and allowed other young players to pass him on the depth chart. He's healthy now and has also recently worked out for other teams, too.
Kennard, 24, began his college career at Georgia Tech, where he appeared in 42 games over four years, recording 115 tackles, including 21.5 for loss, 12.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one interception. He transferred to South Carolina for his final collegiate season in 2024 and played in 12 games for the Gamecocks and finished with 28 tackles, including 15.5 for loss, 11.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles. He was named the 2024 SEC Defensive Player of the Year and won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as college football's top defensive player. In addition to being first-team All-SEC, Kennard was also a consensus All-American.
Washington recently placed third-year edge rusher Javontae Jean-Baptiste on injured reserve and have T.J. Maguranyanga on the practice squad. The Commanders currently have four edge rushers on the 53-man roster: Odafe Oweh, K'Lavon Chaisson, Dorance Armstrong and Joshua Josephs.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders signing former SEC Defensive Player of the Year to practice squad
