Commanders Add Firkser to TE Room; Depth Play Ahead of Camp

The Commanders signed veteran tight end Anthony Firkser to their 90-man roster on Tuesday, waiving wide receiver Ja'Corey Brooks in the corresponding move. Firkser, 30, spent the last season splitting time between the Jets and Chiefs after two games with the Lions, accumulating eight catches for 53 yards across seven appearances. The signing is a straightforward camp body addition—the kind of roster shuffling that happens constantly during the offseason.

Firkser's trajectory over the past three years tells the story of a journeyman who hasn't found stable footing. After a productive stint with Atlanta in 2022 (nine catches, 100 yards in 11 games), he's become a backup-rotation piece, moving between three teams since the start of 2023. His most recent stop in Detroit yielded minimal production in limited opportunity. This is a player fighting for relevance in an increasingly elite tight end market, not a difference-maker.

For Washington, Firkser represents a cheap hedge in the tight end room during spring training. The team has already made its significant investments at the position elsewhere, and this move doesn't suggest a major pivot in offensive strategy. Rather, it's organizational efficiency: bring in a veteran who knows the blocking schemes and route trees, let him compete in training camp, and make the final roster decision based on live performance. The waiving of Brooks, who spent 2025 on the practice squad as an undrafted signing, confirms Washington is comfortable cycling through depth players.

From a betting standpoint, Firkser's arrival carries minimal immediate prop value. He's unlikely to become a focal point of the passing game unless the team suffers injuries at tight end—a scenario that would trigger a broader reset of passing distribution across the offense. His career average of 8.3 yards per reception, combined with inconsistent playing time, makes him a poor leverage candidate for receiving yardage or touchdown props even in a best-case roster scenario. The Commanders' TE target share will still flow primarily to their established options. Firkser is a camp leg, not a matchup solver.