Noah Brown, the wide receiver who caught rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels’ desperation pass against the Chicago Bears for one of the signature moments for the Washington Commanders last season is returning to the team.
Brown agreed to terms on a one-year contract worth up to $4.5 million, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because the agreement had not been announced.
Coming down with the long pass was one of Brown's 35 catches for 453 yards in 11 games with the Commanders after getting cut by Houston and signing with them prior to Week 1.
“He’s an unbelievable player, and he does a lot of things that I think go unnoticed,” said backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, who re-signed Thursday after agreeing to terms on a one-year deal roughly 24 hours earlier. “And the way that he practices, the way that he sets the tempo and the dynamic, he’s going to be great for us and I’m really happy he’s signing back, too.”
Brown, now 29, left Washington’s Dec. 1 game against Tennessee with what turned out to be a kidney injury and missed the rest of the season and the playoff run to the NFC championship game.
Bringing back Brown comes after general manager Adam Peters acquired fellow receiver Deebo Samuel from San Francisco. Terry McLaurin, Samuel, Brown and Luke McCaffrey provide a good start at the wide receiver spot to coincide with the re-signed tight ends Zach Ertz and John Bates.
"Last year was the most fun I’ve had playing football since I was probably in high school," Bates said earlier this week after getting a three-year contract. “It’s really cool to have Zach back and the whole gang back together.”
Peters has also worked to upgrade the line in front of Daniels, trading draft picks to Houston for standout left tackle Laremy Tunsil.
“The more that you can surround this young core group with guys that have played at a high level, that work hard, that provide consistency, I think the more that they can see these examples and kind of mold it into their own games,” Mariota said. “The more that we can bring guys in like that, whether it’s Laremy, whether it’s Deebo, the more that you can bring these guys in that have done it and played at a high level, I think that just raises the level of the young core that we have.”
On Thursday, the Commanders also re-signed versatile interior offensive lineman Michael Deiter, who provides some depth and insurance with starting right guard Sam Cosmi coming off surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee.
On defense, beyond bringing back six-time All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner, they signed safety Will Harris to a two-year contract and agreed to terms with cornerback Jonathan Jones, and defensive tackles Javon Kinlaw and Eddie Goldman. Cornerback Noah Igbinoghene also agreed to re-sign, according to a person familiar with the deal who spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity because it had not been announced.
“These guys are ballers,” Harris said on a video call with reporters after signing his deal. "That type of culture already existed here, and I’m so glad to be a part of it and you can tell that the type of guys that they’re bringing in, those are all guys that have that same mindset: dog mentality guys who just want to come in, get to work and get to it.”
After Jeremy Chinn left to sign with the Las Vegas Raiders, Harris effectively becomes his replacement, joining following one season with New Orleans. The 29-year-old brings some position flex with the ability to play all over the secondary and reunites with cornerback Marshon Lattimore after they were briefly teammates with the Saints.
“I like to say, ‘Anywhere in between the white lines is where I like to be,'" Harris said. "Wherever that is, wherever the coaches see me at, that’s where I’ll line up and this team’s going to get everything I’ve got. I only know one way, and that’s everything I got.”
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Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press
