Falcons release experienced wide receiver before season starts

The Atlanta Falcons have parted ways with wide receiver James Washington, a former second-round draft pick.

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Ari Meirov of Team 33 shared the news via Twitter/X.

The Falcons recently signed safety Justin Simmons and later announced that they released Washington from the team's 90-man roster. Simmons signed a one-year deal with the team on Sunday before announcing that they released the veteran wide receiver.

Washington is now a free agent and can sign with any team in the league. Simmons will now join Jessie Bates, Richie Grant, DeMarcco Hellams and Micah Abernathy as safety options in Atlanta.

Washington signed with the Falcons in late July and failed to record a single catch in either of his first two preseason games. The Texas native played with the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints last year, but last played in a regular season game with the Dallas Cowboys in 2022. Before joining the Cowboys, he tested the open market as an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his NFL career.

In his five-year career, Washington recorded 114 pass catches on 219 attempts, 1,629 yards and 11 touchdowns, with an average of 14.3 yards per reception. The 28-year-old spent the first four years of his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and joined the Cowboys for two games in 2022. He played in 60 games with the Steelers.

He played the final year of his four-year, $4,501,346 rookie contract, including a $1,353,704 signing bonus, and earned a base salary of $1,093,820 for the 2021 season.

The wide receiver, who studied at Oklahoma State University, was selected by the Steelers in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft with the number 60 pick.

Washington's former team, the Steelers, will face the team that just released him in Week 1 of the 2024 season. The former Oklahoma State Cowboys have reunited with Ike Hilliard, who is currently Atlanta's wide receivers coach but was also Pittsburgh's receivers coach during Washington's final two years with the team.

Washington could add a new dimension to an NFL team. He is a strong and physical player who can dig out safeties, run the crossing routes and has vertical speed.

A former four-star recruit from Stamford, Texas, Washington was ranked No. 245 nationally, was the No. 37 receiver in his class and the No. 27 player in his home state for the class of 2014. The wide receiver is 6-foot-0 and weighs 200 pounds.

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