The Washington Commanders released veteran safety Will Harris on Tuesday, ending his tenure in Washington after one season and closing the second year of a two-year contract he signed last March.
Harris, 30, joined the Commanders in March 2025 on a two-year deal worth $8 million.
A third-round pick by the Detroit Lions in 2019 out of Boston College, he has been in the NFL since that draft and spent five seasons in Detroit before a year with the New Orleans Saints in 2024.
Career totals entering this week stood at 358 tackles, three interceptions, 2.5 sacks, 22 pass breakups, three forced fumbles and two recoveries across 103 regular-season games and 62 starts.
His only season in Washington was interrupted early. Harris started the opening games in 2025, then suffered a fractured fibula and missed a large stretch of the year. He returned in Week 13 and finished with 38 tackles, one sack, three passes defended and one forced fumble in nine starts. He recorded no interceptions.
The writing was on the wall this summer. Washington signed former Indianapolis safety Nick Cross in free agency, re-signed Jeremy Reaves and kept Quan Martin in the mix under new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones.
Harris opened camp with the second unit and later slipped to the third group. A misread on a Joshua Dobbs read-option touchdown in Saturday’s preseason loss at Detroit did not help his case.
Reports also indicated the team discussed a reduced role before both sides opted to part ways. The move creates about $3.76 million in cap savings and $1 million in dead money.
Tuesday’s transactions also included the release of rookie safety Malik Spencer, the placement of linebacker Drake Jackson on injured reserve, and the signings of outside linebacker Boogie Basham and safeties Joshuah Bledsoe and Quindell Johnson.
Releasing Harris now gives him a chance to sign elsewhere before final 53-man cuts this weekend.
For Washington, the cut is another step in reshaping a secondary that has new pieces and a new scheme.
For Harris, it is a familiar NFL reset: a veteran still young enough to play, with starting experience and special-teams value, looking for the next stop after seven seasons in the league.
