Commanders DC insists he's not down on safety Darrick Forrest

When the Washington Commanders hired Dan Quinn as head coach and Joe Whitt Jr. as defensive coordinator, everyone wondered which returning players would best fit their defensive scheme.

The most obvious players were defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. However, other players, such as defensive back Quan Martin and safety Darrick Forrest, stood out, too.

A fifth-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft, Forrest was injured for part of his rookie season before returning to make an impact on special teams. In 2022, Forrest had a terrific training camp and won one of the starting safety positions. He proceeded to play in all 17 games in 2022, making 88 tackles and tying for the team lead with four interceptions.

Forrest was always around the ball. His play style was physical and resembled what Whitt had said he was looking for in his introductory press conference.

However, Forrest missed some time in training camp and appeared to fall down the depth chart. There was some chatter about him not even making the 53-man roster. Forrest did make the roster, but he hasn’t been active yet this season.

With Forrest a healthy scratch again last week, reporters asked Whitt about Forrest on Thursday.

“Forrest has done everything that we’ve asked him to do,” Whitt said. “He missed some time early and, I’m not down on him I’m actually really high on Forrest. He’s somebody that when we can get more safety packages….first off, we have to get up and then get them on the field. But he’s done everything, he’s a great teammate, he’s a great human being, and now we just gotta find a way to get him on the field in certain spaces.”

Forrest has proven he can deliver on defense and special teams. However, his health has been an issue. If Washington’s defensive struggles continue, it will be interesting to see if the Commanders activate Forrest on gameday in the coming weeks.