Commander Country

NFL Free Agency: Commanders Ex Trai Turner Signs with Saints

Former Washington Commanders offensive linemen Trai Turner is signing with his hometown New Orleans Saints.

Tim Kelly

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Veteran right guard Trai Turner -- who spent the 2022 season with the Washington Commanders -- is officially off the market.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Turner is signing with the New Orleans Saints, giving the NFC South team some depth on the offensive line.

"Turner should still have some good years ahead if he lands in a spot that can maximize his talents," Bleacher Report writes. "The guard turned 30 in June and has logged 7,713 offensive snaps, meaning he's been on the field for far fewer plays than many of his fellow offensive linemen who have been consistently starting in the NFL over the last decade. While injuries have hindered Turner's availability in the past, he's only missed one week with an ailment since the start of 2020."

A third-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers, Turner made the Pro Bowl for five consecutive seasons from 2015-2019. Of course, Turner's coach for the bulk of his time in Carolina was Ron Rivera. So after he spent the 2020 season with the Los Angeles Chargers and 2021 with the Pittsburgh Steelers, it wasn't especially surprising to see Turner reunite with Rivera in Washington in 2022 on a one-year deal. Turner would ultimately start in 12 of the 16 games that he appeared in with the Commanders. 

While the Commanders are hardly expected to have an elite offensive line in 2023, there's no evidence that they are considering a reunion with Turner. Sam Cosmi is expected to kick in from right tackle after the Commanders inked former Kansas City Chiefs right tackle Andrew Wylie to a three-year, $24 million deal in free agency this offseason. 

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Tim Kelly
TIM KELLY

Tim Kelly is a contributor to SI's team sites. Additionally, Kelly covers the Philadelphia Phillies as the Editorial Director for PhilliesNation.com. Previously, Kelly has been a producer at SportsRadio 94 WIP and a content producer for Audacy Sports, with written content syndicated to WIP, WFAN, WEEI and some of the biggest sports radio stations in the country. Kelly also has previously written for SportsTalkPhilly.com and Section 215, FanSided's Philadelphia affiliate. Kelly is a 2018 graduate of Bloomsburg University, with a major in Mass Communications and a minor in political science. 

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