If you want to start a list of Washington Commanders who won’t be on the roster in 2026, put wide receiver Noah Brown at the top of the list.
Brown barely even played in 2025 — 4 games with just 10 receptions for 83 yards and no touchdowns — before his season mercifully came to an end when he was placed on injured reserve on December 16.
The Commanders announced the news on their official X account.
“Noah Brown back to IR for the Commanders,” 106.7 The Fan’s Grant Paulsen wrote on X. “Brown missed most of the season with knee and groin injuries. His return lasted just two games after he hadn’t played since Week 2. He played 10 snaps Sunday, catching one pass for 28 yards.”
The news about Brown’s season-ending trip to injured reserve came one day after he authored a cryptic Instagram post.
“Sometimes you can’t make sense of everything God throws at you in life,” Brown wrote on December 15. “You do the best you can in all the departments you can control and God still says ‘not yet’ … Its easy to get discouraged, angry, sad, mad, feel sorry for yourself … all of the emotions. And I do feel every single one of those emotions. But when I look at my life and all the times God showed up for me when I thought I was down and out, its impossible to sit in those emotions. No matter how long the storm IT WILL pass, and God’s glory will shine through me. BELIEVE THAT.”
The Commanders are 4-10 headed into a Week 16 home game against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
Washington was eliminated from the playoffs after a 31-0 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14 but snapped a 9-game losing streak with a 29-21 win over the New York Giants in Week 15 — likely Brown’s last game in a Commanders uniform.
Brown’s Name Etched in Franchise History
While Brown probably won’t ever play another game in the NFL, he’ll never have to pay for a drink or a meal in the D.C. area.
Brown was on the receiving end of one of the most incredible finishes in NFL regular season history against the Chicago Bears in 2024, when he caught a 52-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass from Jayden Daniels as time expired to give the Commanders an 18-15 victory at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.
The play — now known as Hail Maryland —eventually led to the Pro Football Hall of Fame displaying the gloves worn by Brown on the catch along with one of the end zone pylons signed by Brown and Daniels.
Injuries Followed Brown From 2024 to 2025
Brown was on track for a career best season in 2024 with 35 receptions for 453 yards and 1 touchdown through 11 games before a core injury sidelined him for the final 5 regular season games. He also missed 3 playoff games as the Commanders advanced to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991.
Despite missing all those games, the Commanders still wanted Brown back for 2025 and signed him to a 1-year, $3.25 million contract.
Brown reportedly left the game against the Giants with a back injury.
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