It was just five or six years ago years ago that it was hard to find numerous Illinois football players scattered throughout the NFL.
The quality and quantity of NFL talent the Illini have produced has increased greatly, especially since Bret Bielema took over the program. Not only do you see former Illini players on NFL teams quite a bit, but there are multiple players suiting up for the same franchise.
One of the young up-and-coming franchises with a lot of promise is the Washington Commanders. They have superstar quarterback Jayden Daniels leading the way for the offense with former Illini Nick Allegretti blocking for him. On defense, there is a little Orange Krush flavor coming through.
Washington has one of the best defenses in the NFL this season, and that has a lot to do with their 6-2 start. Without the defense, the Commanders would have struggled in quite a few games this season. In fact, Washington is giving up just 20.9 points per game in 2024, which ranks No. 10 in the NFL.
Illinois fans are familiar with two of the players who help anchor the Washington defense as well. Safety Quan Martin and defensive lineman Jer’Zhan Newton have been big parts of this great resurgence.
In this last game against the Chicago Bears, Martin led Washington with 11 tackles and he also had a tackle for loss. Newton was also effective, adding three tackles, one sack, and one tackle for loss. He also had a big fumble recovery in the Bears’ red zone.
Jer’Zhan Newton is getting his chance to shine with the Washington Commanders after a big injury
Martin playing big snaps and seeing success is nothing new. Last season, he played in every game and started in five contests. Martin finished with 46 tackles and two interceptions. He has been a big part of the Washington defense since joining the franchise.
The start for Newton has been a little slower. He began the season fresh off an injury, and then he had to sit behind some talented defensive linemen.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Newton got his big break. Sadly, Jonathan Allen had to go to the IR with an injury, but it is a next-man-up mentality in Washington, and this injury elevated Newton to the starting role for the Commanders.
Newton is starting to come around. He had his best game since becoming a pro against the Bears this past week. He showed glimpses of what I saw when he was in Champaign. I fully expect that ability to continue to grow as Newton gets more comfortable in the NFL. Once he gets settled in, look out for this superstar to really break out.