K.J. Osborn will head from the AFC East to the NFC East.
The 8-5 Washington Commanders claimed the wide receiver off waivers from the 3-10 New England Patriots on Wednesday, an afternoon after his non-injury settlement was processed.
Osborn, 27, had arrived on a one-year, $4 million contract as NFL free agency opened in March. The agreement included $3.18 million guaranteed. The veteran’s departure as a waiver claim now creates $262,222 million in cap space, according to Patscap’s Miguel Benzan, with the remaining four weeks of his salary picked up elsewhere.
“It was a mutual thing,” Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said during his Wednesday press conference. “Look, K.J., I mean, even when he was inactive, he was just a great professional, great person, a great leader. It just didn’t work out, and we decided to part ways.”
Osborn appeared in seven games during his stay. Starting the initial four of the fall, the Buffalo Bulls and Miami Hurricanes product finished with seven receptions for 57 yards and scored his lone touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. Seeing a total of 232 offensive snaps, he was a healthy scratch for three consecutive weeks prior to the bye.
Entering the NFL in the fifth round of the 2020 draft, Osborn started 30 of his 59 games while a member of the Minnesota Vikings. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound target’s tenure in the NFC North brought 158 catches for 1,845 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Five wideouts remain on the 53-man roster in Foxborough. The depth chart includes Kendrick Bourne, DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte and rookies Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker.