After missing two games with an elbow injury, Washington Commanders cornerback Emmanuel Forbes returned to action in Week 15 vs. the Los Angeles Rams. Washington had a bye in Week 14, giving Forbes another week of rest before returning.
In preparation for Forbes’ return, Washington made a move at cornerback, releasing reliable veteran Danny Johnson last week and claiming 2023 draft pick Kyu Blu Kelly off waivers.
Ultimately, this move meant nothing for Forbes, as the Commanders saw an opportunity to claim a talented cornerback off waivers. When Washington released its inactive list against the Rams, Forbes was one of five cornerbacks active, joining Kendall Fuller, Benjamin St-Juste, Quan Martin and Tariq Castro-Fields.
However, in Sunday’s game, a fully healthy Forbes played just six snaps. Fuller, St-Juste and fellow rookie Martin played every snap.
Why the lack of playing time for Forbes?
Head coach Ron Rivera offered the following explanation after the game.
“That was a lot more about what Quan was doing and really what we had as a matchup going into this game,” Rivera said.
So, was Rivera saying the Commanders chose to play Martin (the 2023 second-round pick) over Forbes (the 2023 first-round pick)?
Washington is a bad football team with a terrible defense. Both of the young defensive backs should be on the field for close to 100% of the snaps. The way Rivera has handled Forbes this season is puzzling. After passing on every other cornerback but one, Washington chose Forbes, and released an in-house video regarding its excitement over the move.
It hasn’t worked out. That doesn’t mean Forbes will not be a good player, but he hasn’t received much help from Washington’s coaches this season.