McKissic becomes second Commander to agree to deal with Bills originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
One day after ex-Washington defensive lineman Tim Settle agreed to a two-year deal with the Bills, running back J.D. McKissic is reportedly set to follow him.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, McKissic and Buffalo have also come to terms on a two-year contract; this one is worth $7 million and it has upside to reach as much as $8 million. Come Wednesday at 4 p.m. when the next NFL league year begins, it’ll be official.
Commanders supporters, however, aren’t delaying their confusion, which became official as soon as the news broke.
Since Ron Rivera’s club acquired Carson Wentz, the team has been extremely quiet. That’s likely due to Wentz’s $28 million salary, a high number that drastically altered Washington’s ability to spend this week.
But if McKissic could be had at such a reasonable number, why isn’t he back with the Commanders? It’s not like Wentz’s arrival made a transaction as simple as this impossible.
The only factor that could’ve possibly impacted McKissic’s standing with his now former team is his health. Remember, he missed Washington’s last six games of the 2021 campaign after suffering a neck injury against the Seattle Seahawks that initially pushed him into concussion protocol and then kept him out even after he cleared the protocol. So, maybe the Bills were more comfortable committing to him than the Commanders?
Regardless of why McKissic is gone, there’s no question about how much he’ll be missed.
In 27 games for the Burgundy and Gold, McKissic totaled 123 receptions (for an average of 4.5 per contest) for 986 yards and four touchdowns. He was also quite useful as a rusher, where he logged 133 attempts (basically five per appearance) for 577 yards and another three scores.
Overall, McKissic emerged as one of the sport’s premier third-down backs and a clutch option for offensive coordinator Scott Turner, along with the franchise’s various quarterbacks from the last two years. It seemed like every time he touched the ball, something positive occurred and the unit was better for it.
Now, though, he’s Buffalo’s asset, as Josh Allen will no doubt enjoy having the 28-year-old in the Buffalo backfield. As for the Commanders, well, their search for the next J.D. McKissic will begin in earnest, seeing as they weren’t able to hold on to the original version.
