Former Penn State linebacker Curtis Jacobs has been waived by the Washington Commanders after a brief, injury-shortened stay in training camp.
The Commanders cut Jacobs from injured reserve Wednesday with an injury settlement, according to the NFL transactions wire. He was one of three players released from IR, along with wide receiver Jacoby Jones and tight end Quentin Moore.
Jacobs had signed with Washington on Aug. 11 after a tryout and was waived/injured on Aug. 30 as the team trimmed to 53. He cleared waivers and reverted to IR the next day.
For Nittany Lions fans, the news is another chapter in a familiar NFL grind story. Jacobs was a four-year contributor at Penn State from 2020-23, a physical, versatile linebacker who started 36 of 45 games.
He finished his college career with 171 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, two interceptions (including a pick-six), four fumble recoveries and honorable mention All-Big Ten honors in 2021 and 2023.
He was a Butkus Award semifinalist as a junior and earned the program’s Lion’s Pride Outstanding Senior Player Award.
The 6-foot-1, 241-pound Glen Burnie, Maryland, product went undrafted in 2024 after that productive stretch in Linebacker U. He signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as a free agent, was waived at the end of camp, and was claimed by the New England Patriots.
Jacobs appeared in nine games for New England in 2024, mostly on special teams, before a concussion landed him on IR. Stints with the Tennessee Titans (three games in 2025), a short Giants practice-squad stay, and a productive spring with the UFL’s DC Defenders followed before Washington gave him a look.
Jacobs’ path is typical of many former Penn State defenders who produce in Happy Valley but have to fight for every NFL snap.
He was never a star in State College the way some Linebacker U names were, but he was a reliable starter on defenses that ranked among the nation’s best. That same reliability and special-teams value kept him bouncing between rosters.
The settlement means Jacobs is a free agent again and can sign elsewhere immediately. At 24, he still has time to land on a practice squad or compete for a depth role.
For Penn State followers, the hope is that the next stop sticks longer than the last few. The Nittany Lions pipeline to the league remains active; Jacobs is simply still looking for the right fit after leaving University Park.
