In retrospect, the Washington Commanders were perhaps the best thing that ever happened to cornerback Kendall Fuller.
First, the Commanders selected Fuller out of Virginia Tech in the 2016 NFL draft. Boom. Now he’s in the NFL.
Then, before of the 2018 season, they sent Fuller to the Kansas City Chiefs. Boom. Two years later, he’s the Super Bowl champion.
When Fuller became a free agent in 2020, the Commanders re-signed him to a four-year, $40 million contract. Boom. Now he’s extremely wealthy.
The Commanders may get a third opportunity with Fuller in 2024 after ESPN’s Seth Walder proposed a trade that would bring Fuller back to the nation’s capital from the Miami Dolphins, where he inked a two-year, $15 million contract in March 2024.
“How does a second reunion with Fuller sound for Washington?” Walder wrote. “The Commanders require assistance at cornerback, as they rank 31st in the NFL in defensive open score versus wide receivers… With (Jayden) Daniels in charge, Washington has no time to spend. It has a chance to make a serious postseason run, and having a better defence would be extremely beneficial. Fuller would assist Washington’s shaky situation.
It would also let Fuller to do something he hasn’t done in his previous six seasons in Washington: play for the Commanders on a respectable team, which is now 5-2 and in first place in the NFC East.
Fuller Moved From ACC Star to Super Bowl Hero
Fuller was a two-time All-ACC and All-American at Virginia Tech before becoming a part-time starter with the Commanders his first two years, recording four interceptions in just six starts in 2017.
Fuller played 19 games for the Chiefs over two seasons, but he is best recognized for making one of the most important defensive plays in franchise history, a game-winning interception in Super Bowl LIV against the San Francisco 49ers.
Fuller tied his career best of four interceptions in 2020, his first season back in Washington, which also marked the franchise’s last postseason appearance.
Fuller has played 122 games in his career, starting 98 and intercepting 16.
Commanders Failed on First Round CB in ’23
The Commanders made a huge move in the 2023 NFL draft, selecting Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. with the 16th overall choice. Forbes established the NCAA FBS record with six career interceptions returned for touchdowns, but his 6-foot, 166-pound stature has proven too much for NFL competition.
Forbes did record his first interception of the season in a 40-7 victory over the Carolina Panthers in Week 7, but he has also been one of the NFL’s worst cornerbacks in his first two seasons and could be a trade candidate.
Especially if the Commanders call in a player like Fuller.
This season, the Commanders have already let go of two past first-round picks: wide receiver Jahan Dotson was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, while outside linebacker Jamin Davis was released.
“Forbes, the 16th pick in 2023, has had a rocky two seasons in the pros, from injuries to benchings,” ESPN’s John Keim wrote on October 23. “Based on that, he may be relocated. However, Washington lacks depth in this position, and Forbes has been one of its top four corners.
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