2026-07-06 19:34:35 Redskins exercise 5th-year option on Allen’s rookie contract – NEW WTOP Skip to main content

Redskins exercise 5th-year option on Allen’s rookie contract

By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Redskins exercised the fifth-year option on defensive lineman Jonathan Allen’s rookie contract on Monday. The move was no surprise given Allen’s impact on the organization in his first three seasons and his substantial role on and off the field moving forward. He’s now under contract through the 2021 season. After the extension was announced, Allen tweeted:

Allen has started all 36 games he has appeared in with the Redskins, recording 139 tackles, 18 for loss, and 15 sacks. He has become an important part of Washington’s defense and was voted the unit’s captain in 2019, his third NFL season. The 25-year-old is the leader of a defensive line that now includes fellow first-round picks Daron Payne, Montez Sweat and Chase Young. After being selected with the No. 2 pick in the draft last week, Young said he went to Allen’s house to talk to him about what is to come. “Just wanted to meet one of the leaders of the defense,” Young said Monday. “I felt like it was right to do that. … I’m fired up, man. We have a D-line filled with first-rounders. I think when we go, watch out.” Allen started that run when the Redskins took him with the 15th pick in 2017. The Alabama product fell to the middle of the first round because of concerns about a shoulder injury. The shoulder has not been a problem, but Allen was limited to five games in his rookie year by a foot injury. A knee injury cost him one game last season, and he had 68 tackles and six sacks. Allen grew up in Ashburn, Virginia, where Washington’s practice facility is located. He’s one of several locals now on the roster, along with Young, quarterback Dwayne Haskins and safety Sean Davis. ___ More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Washington safety Landon Collins was surprised by Dwayne Haskins’ benching

By Ethan Cadeaux
Landon Collins says he was surprised by Haskins' benching originally appeared on NBC Sports WashingtonCornerback Kendall Fuller commended his head coach for being forward when announcing last week's quarterback change, but another member of the Washington Football Team secondary admitted he was caught off guard by Ron Rivera's decision to bench Dwayne Haskins for Kyle Allen."Surprised a little bit," Landon Collins said when asked about the QB switch in a recent interview with Josina Anderson. "I would say more surprised when we came in what was said, what was done," Collins continued.Haskins was relegated from the team's starting quarterback to third-string last Wednesday, just four weeks into the season. The move came at an odd time, as Haskins was coming off a career-high 314 passing yards in Washington's loss to the Ravens.While Collins was a little bit shocked at Haskins' demotion, the safety did say the move was understandable if the coaches felt the second-year passer wasn't performing up to par.That's precisely why Rivera made the switch to Allen, citing his new signal-caller's knowledge of the system, having played under offensive coordinator Scott Turner last season in Carolina."Like any other quarterback, if you play good, you get to keep your job," Collins said. "If you don't, you don't keep your job. The same thing at safety, if I kept missing tackles, I could lose my job."Download and Subscribe to the Washington Football Talk podcastAllen's first game as Washington's starter did not go as planned for the third-year quarterback. In the second quarter, Allen attempted to stretch for a first down when he was leveled by Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey, a collision in which Ramsey got the best of the quarterback.The collision caused Allen to injure his left, non-throwing arm, forcing him to miss the remainder of the game. Allen's prognosis forced Washington to insert Alex Smith into the game, completing as remarkable a comeback as you'll see in sports."It was crazy. Smiles everywhere. It was unbelievable," Collins said on Smith's return.For months, the thought of Smith playing in another NFL game seemed impossible. After all, he needed 17 surgeries to fix his injured leg and was forced to wear a metal fixator for months. Yet, less than two years after his near life-threatening injury, No. 11 took the field once again.Many watching Washington's game on Sunday were worried for Smith, especially after everything he's gone through. Collins was not one of those people, however, as the safety was confident in Smith's ability to play after seeing what he's capable of doing in practice."Y'all miss him fall on the ground, getting back up, hopping back up, throwing the ball down the field, 60-yard passes, crazy stuff," Collins said. "So we already knew he could do it. So we already had the confidence in him, but to see him on the field again was amazing."Smith played the remainder of the game for Washington, but it's unknown when he'll see the field next. After the game, Rivera announced that Allen would be the team's starter moving forward, with Smith serving as the backup and Haskins third on the depth chart. Haskins has not had the start to his career that he would have liked, but Collins -- who shares the same agent with the QB -- wants him to know that Haskins has the support of his teammates."Always try to be a great teammate, be there for your boys, because we got your back," Collins said.
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