Commanders trade DT John Ridgeway to the Saints

One day after the Washington Commanders finalized their initial 53-man roster, general manager Adam Peters traded one of the players who made the roster.

Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reported the Commanders were interested in trading third-year defensive tackle John Ridgeway. Several teams reportedly expressed interest in Ridgeway, but Washington didn’t strike a deal. On Wednesday afternoon, the Commanders found a trade partner for Ridgeway, sending him to the New Orleans Saints.

Ridgeway had a strong preseason, but with Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne in front of him, along with the presence of fellow third-year DT Phidarian Mathis and rookie Johnny Newton, the Commanders had a surplus at the position.

In return, the Saints send a 2025 sixth-round pick to Washington for Ridgeway and a 2025 seventh-round selection. The Commanders had multiple seventh-round picks in 2025 due to last week’s Jahan Dotson trade.

Ridgeway, the Cowboys’ fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, was waived early in the 2022 season, and the Commanders claimed him. In two seasons with Washington, Ridgeway appeared in 32 games with six starts, recording 55 tackles.