Commanders Praised for Signing ‘Hail Mary Hero’ for $4.5 Million

Of all the incredible feats achieved by Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, none stood above the moment he orchestrated in a Week 8 victory over the Chicago Bears.

That’s when Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, found wide receiver Noah Brown on a 45-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass as time expired to defeat the Bears and 2024 No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams.

Daniels would go on to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and lead the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991 — more incredible feats — and did so lacking any elite offensive weapons outside of NFL All-Pro wide receiver Terry McLaurin.

The Commanders added another big-time wide receiver with a trade for San Francisco 49ers All-Pro Deebo Samuel, then followed that with a deft move to solidify depth at the position on March 13 by bringing back Brown on a 1-year, $4.5 million contract — ostensibly locking their WR3 spot into place for 2025.

Brown ended the season on injured reserve after injuring his kidney in a Week 14 win over the Tennessee Titans but had 35 receptions for 453 yards and 1 touchdown in 11 games.

“(Brown) has good size at 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds — something Washington needed — and plays physical,” ESPN’s John Keim wrote on March 13. “He’s a good third option along with Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel … Despite his production Brown again finished on injured reserve and has missed a combined 13 games the past two seasons. The Commanders could add another young outside receiver as insurance. But as long as Brown stays healthy he should deliver for them again.”

The Commander lost the player who replaced Brown in the lineup — wide receiver Dyami Brown — to a 1-year, $10 million free agent contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“That one hurts,” Quinn told ESPN’s John Keim after announcing Noah Brown’s injury on December 11. “”We loved him and his play style. Absolutely one of our glue guys.”

Noah Brown Brought Career Back to Life With Commanders

Noah Brown brought his career back to life in one season in Washington, where he wasn’t even on the roster until the Commanders picked him up 1 day after he was released by the Houston Texans as part of their final roster cuts on August 27.

Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine had Noah Brown listed as a viable free agent WR2 or Wr3 option for several teams headed into the offseason.

“Someone like Noah Brown could be a good answer,” Ballentine wrote. “He is an underrated receiver who has helped the Commanders offense get off the ground this season. He’s another deep threat who could fit … a vertical passing game.”

Brown’s Consistency on Display Throughout Career

Noah Brown was selected in the seventh round (No. 239 overall) by the Dallas Cowboys in 2017 out of Ohio State and was almost strictly used for run blocking and special teams. He became a starter in 2022 and had 43 receptions for 555 yards and 3 touchdowns in 13 games.

Before his injury, Noa hBrown was on pace to have his third consecutive season with at least 500 receiving yards with his third different team in 2024 after he had 33 receptions for 567 yards and 2 touchdowns for the Texans in 2023.