When Jonathan Allen was first drafted by the Washington Commanders in the first round of the 2017 Draft, the team was hoping he could be the kind of dominant interior defender they needed to compete in the NFC East.
In many ways, Allen became that kind of player. Even if the accolades never truly followed the production.
Now, Allen has been released from the Commanders after an eight-year run in Washington and he has begun a new journey with the Minnesota Vikings instead.
While the 30-year-old could be upset at the team who drafted him moving on in the same year they have become a league contender, there is no frustration from the veteran.
Instead, he's very appreciative of his time with the Commanders.
"The NFL is a business," Allen said. "It's very hard to play your entire career with one team. Things just didn't work out for whatever reason, but I'm super excited-super, super excited-to be part of this new team."
It's very rare for a player to spend eight years with a team and still have love for that team when they release him like Allen has with Washington. One thing that Allen made clear, though, is that Washington treated him well both during and after his release.
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And it made all the difference in the world.
"A new regime came in, they had a path they wanted to follow, and I wasn't a part of that," Allen said without resentment. "I gotta give them credit for doing me a favor by releasing me when they did."
Allen may no longer be with Washington anymore. But there is clearly a lot of love for his time there even in a new place.
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This story was originally published March 29, 2025 at 11:58 PM.