Washington Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney, who was recently reinstated by the NFL, has now been let go by the team. On Monday, the Washington Commanders announced the release of defensive end Shaka Toney. Toney had just been reinstated to the Commanders after serving an indefinite ban last year for violating the NFL’s gambling policy, along with several other players in the league. Despite showing promise in the years prior to his suspension, Toney’s release isn’t entirely unexpected, considering Washington’s addition of several new defensive ends this offseason.
Toney, who contributed to a strong presence of Penn State alumni in the locker room, spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons playing for the team. During that time, he appeared in 26 games, starting one, and recorded 1.5 sacks along with three quarterback hits. His most significant playing time on defense came in his rookie season in 2021, where he saw action on 118 defensive snaps. However, in 2022, he mainly played on special teams, with 318 reps compared to just 51 on defense under then-defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio.
Selected in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft by Washington, Toney was the 17th defensive end taken that year. He now becomes the third member of the Commanders’ 2021 draft class to depart the team, following William Bradley-King, who is now with the New England Patriots, and long snapper Camaron Cheeseman, who was released last season after struggling for much of the year. Seven out of the 10 players selected in the 2021 draft class are still with the team, with linebacker Jamin Davis, the first-round pick, leading the group, while offensive lineman Sam Cosmi has been the most consistently successful member of that class.
With Toney’s exit, Washington now has a total of eight defensive ends listed on its roster.
