It’s 5 o’clock somewhere…
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Background
When Phidarian (Phil) Mathis was drafted in the second round of the 2022 draft, the response from media and fans was…not highly positive. It was perceived as something of a desperation pick by a team that was struggling to figure out what to do as Daron Payne entered a 5th-year option contract year with no indication of an extension in sight at the time. The team surprisingly pivoted away from both Tim Settle and Matt Ioannidis in the March free agency, then selected Mathis #47 overall.
Mathis was on the field for just 3 defensive snaps in his first game as a rookie before tearing the meniscus in his left knee and ending his season.
In his second year, 2023, Mathis opened the season on IR, not because of the meniscus tear of a year earlier, but due to a calf injury. It would be the Week 8 game against Philadelphia before he returned to action.
2023 results
When Mathis did get back on the field, he did very little to inspire confidence that his 2nd round draft status had been justified. He played just 30% of the defensive snaps for which he was available, barely scratching his name on the stats sheets with 2 solo tackles, 6 assists and a QB hit.
Pro Football Focus grades for his ten games played reflect a level of play in 2023 that was inconsistent and a bit lackluster:
Roster competition
Of course, the Commanders surprised just about everyone by drafting Jer’zhan (Johnny) Newton in the second round of this year’s draft. He was widely acknowledged as the best player available when Adam Peters made the selection at #36 overall, but DT was perceived as the strongest and deepest unit on the roster at the time. Newton’s selection seems to make it even deeper and stronger, despite any concerns that he may potentially miss a few games due to foot surgery he underwent post-draft.
Phil Mathis would appear to now slide down the depth chart. Without a doubt, the guy that Ron Rivera selected 47th overall in 2022 isn’t going to get preference over the guy that Adam Peters, Dan Quinn, Joe Whitt and Darryl Tapp bought into at 36th overall less than 3 months ago.
At best, Mathis would appear to be 4th on the DT depth chart — not the place you want to see a second-rounder end up — but then there’s John Ridgeway.
Ridgeway was drafted in the 5th round of the 2022 draft by the Dallas Cowboys when Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt were part of the decision-making group there. Ridgeway only ended up in Washington when the Cowboys front office tried to slip him off the roster temporarily to make room for another player returning from IR. Washington swooped in and snatched Ridgeway off the waiver wire, and he has been a productive part of the Commanders DL rotation ever since. Playing 31% of the snaps in 2023, Ridgeway tallied 16 solo tackles and 15 assists. There’s a very plausible argument that he should be ahead of Mathis on the depth chart, which could leave Phil Mathis as the odd man out when the final 53-man roster is put together ahead of the Week 1 Tampa Bay game.
Where things stand
The Draft Network published an article about two weeks ago that neatly sums up Mathis’s current situation:
Through two completed NFL campaigns, Mathis has played a total of 206 defensive snaps. Mathis has accumulated eight tackles and zero sacks. It’s borderline unfair to judge his 2023 campaign, but the numbers aren’t particularly kind. Pro Football Focus assigned Mathis a run-stopping grade of 32.2.
The challenge for Mathis got even bigger this offseason. The Commanders cleaned house, hiring an entirely new coaching staff and front office. New head coach Dan Quinn is a defensive-minded leader who’ll be tasked with maximizing Mathis’ potential. Joe Whitt Jr. is the defensive coordinator, and former San Francisco 49ers assistant defensive line coach Darryl Tapp is his new position coach.
The Commanders are undoubtedly running out of patience. New general manager Adam Peters isn’t the decision-maker who originally drafted Mathis. He did draft a potential replacement this offseason however when he utilized the 36th overall pick on former Illinois defensive tackle Johnny Newton.
Newton, a previously perceived first-round talent, is carrying injury concerns of his own. The former Illini standout underwent surgery in May to correct a Jones fracture in his left foot. Indications were that Newton required surgery in both of his feet. That’s concerning and could at least derail the start of his rookie season.
Mathis no longer possesses the leash of a second-round pick. In reality, he’s an inherited asset from a previous regime that has spent more time sidelined than on the field. A particularly strong (and healthy) season is required to convince new decision-makers of his capability to contribute.
Newton isn’t the only defensive tackle competing with Mathis for playing time behind the two full-time starters. Fellow third-year defensive tackle John Ridgeway is also on the roster and under contract for two more seasons.
The impending training camp and preseason periods represent a fresh start for Mathis. He’s learning a new scheme while hopefully endearing himself to Quinn’s coaching staff. Sink-or-swim months have already arrived for Mathis.
Another option
This Draft Network article presents binary outcomes for Mathis (“sink-or-swim”), but, of course, NFL teams often try to make chicken salad at the end of August by trading away a player from a deep position group who has underperformed in return for a similar player from another team who might have a better chance to thrive with a changed situation. I recently highlighted a player from the Commanders current roster — CB Noah Igbinoghene — who was part of such a trade that sent him from the Dolphins to the Cowboys a year ago.
Phil Mathis, a good player from Alabama who was projected ahead of the ‘22 draft to develop into a solid NFL player, but whose career has been adversely affected by two injuries, limited opportunities and playing on a horrible defense in the second half of 2023, seems like a prime candidate for such a trade once the preseason ends. If he could be swapped for a young, underperforming DB, WR, TE or return specialist with high upside potential, then it could represent a win-win outcome for both players and both teams. Such trades don’t often pay off, but they represent an opportunity for more return to the team than simply cutting the player loose.