The 5 O’Clock Club: What’s Next for Phidarian Mathis?

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background

When Phidarian (Phil) Mathis was drafted in the second round of the 2022 draft, the reaction from media and fans… was not very positive. It was perceived as a sort of desperation pick by a team struggling to figure out what to do as Daron Payne was entering a contract year with a fifth-year option and no extension was in sight at the time. The team surprisingly moved on from Tim Settle and Matt Ioannidis in free agency in March and then selected Mathis with the No. 47 overall pick.

Mathis only played three defensive snaps in his first game as a rookie before suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee, ending his season.

In his second year, 2023, Mathis began the season on the injured list, not because of the meniscus tear from the previous year, but because of a calf injury, and did not return to action until the Week 8 game against Philadelphia.

Results 2023

When Mathis returned to the field, he didn’t do much to inspire confidence that his status as a second-round draft pick was warranted, playing just 30% of the defensive snaps he was available for and barely managing to earn a spot on the stat sheet with 2 solo tackles, 6 assists, and a QB hit.

Pro Football Focus’s ratings for his ten games played reflect a level of play in 2023 that was inconsistent and somewhat lackluster:

Roster competition

Of course, the Commanders surprised almost everyone by signing Jer’zhan (Johnny) Newton in the second round of this year’s draft. He was widely considered the best player available when Adam Peters selected him No. 36, but DT was considered the strongest and deepest unit on the roster at the time. Newton’s selection seems to make him even deeper and stronger, despite any concerns that he might miss some games due to foot surgery he had after the draft.

Phil Mathis now appears to be slipping down the rankings. Undoubtedly, the man Ron Rivera selected 47th in 2022 will not be preferred over the man Adam Peters, Dan Quinn, Joe Whitt and Darryl Tapp selected 36th less than 3 months ago.

Mathis is likely to be No. 4 on the DT depth chart at best—not exactly the spot you want to see a second-round pick land—but then there’s John Ridgeway.

Ridgeway was drafted in the 5th round of the 2022 draft by the Dallas Cowboys when Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt were part of the decision group there. Ridgeway only ended up in Washington when the Cowboys front office tried to temporarily move him off the roster to make room for another player returning from IR. Washington pounced and grabbed Ridgeway off the waiver list, and he’s been a productive part of the Commanders’ DL rotation ever since. Ridgeway played 31% of the snaps in 2023 and recorded 16 solo tackles and 15 assists. There’s a very plausible argument that he should be ahead of Mathis in the rankings, which could lead to Phil Mathis being the underdog when the final 53-man roster is assembled before the Week 1 Tampa Bay game.

How things stand

The Draft Network published an article about two weeks ago that aptly summarizes Mathis’ current situation:

In two completed NFL seasons, Mathis has played a total of 206 defensive snaps. Mathis has accumulated eight tackles and zero sacks. It’s borderline unfair to judge his 2023 season, but the numbers aren’t particularly encouraging. Pro Football Focus gave Mathis a run-stopping grade of 32.2.

The challenge for Mathis became even greater this offseason. The Commanders cleaned up and hired an entirely new coaching staff and management. New head coach Dan Quinn is a defensive-minded leader tasked with maximizing Mathis’ potential. Joe Whitt Jr. is the defensive coordinator and former San Francisco 49ers assistant defensive line coach Darryl Tapp is his new position coach.

The Commanders are undoubtedly running out of patience. New general manager Adam Peters is not the decision-maker who originally drafted Mathis, but he did draft a possible replacement this offseason when he used the 36th pick on the former Illinois defensive tackle. Johnny Newton.

Newton, previously considered a first-round prospect, has injury concerns of his own. The former Illini star underwent surgery in May to repair a Jones fracture in his left foot. There have been indications that Newton will need surgery on both feet. That’s concerning and could jeopardize at least the start of his rookie season.

Mathis no longer holds the reins of a second-round pick. In fact, he’s an heir to a previous regime that spent more time on the bench than on the field. A particularly strong (and healthy) season will be needed to convince new decision-makers of his ability to contribute.

Newton isn’t the only defensive tackle competing with Mathis for playing time behind the two full-time starters. His third defensive tackle, John Ridgeway, is also on the roster and has a contract for two more seasons.

The upcoming training camp and preseason will be a fresh start for Mathis. He will learn a new pattern and hopefully endear himself to Quinn’s coaching staff. For Mathis, months have already begun in which survival is at stake.

Other option

This Draft Network article presents binary outcomes for Mathis (“sink-or-swim”), but of course, NFL teams often try to make a chicken salad in late August by trading a player from a deep position group who has been underperforming for a similar player from another team who may have a better chance to thrive under a changed situation. I recently highlighted a player from the Commanders’ current roster – CB Noah Igbinoghene – who was part of such a trade that brought him from the Dolphins to the Cowboys a year ago.

Phil Mathis, a good player out of Alabama who was projected to have solid development as an NFL player prior to the 2022 draft but whose career was hampered by two injuries, limited opportunities, and playing on a terrible defense in the second half of 2023, appears to be a prime candidate for such a trade after the preseason ended. If he could be traded for a young, underperforming DB, WR, TE, or return specialist with high upside, it could be a win-win for both players and both teams. Such trades don’t often pay off, but they offer an opportunity to give more back to the team than simply letting the player walk.