Washington Roster Moves: Nate Orchard signed from the Packers practice squad

Ron Rivera mentioned on his weekly radio interview with the Junkies that the Washington Football Team would be announcing some roster moves today. They are dealing with a number of injuries along with a big list of players that have been added to the Reserve/COVID list. The defense has been hit particularly hard with the COVID wave.

Nate Orchard was an outside linebacker Washington signed during the 2019 season. His first game with the team was against the Carolina Panthers, a game that ended up being Ron Rivera’s last as their head coach. Orchard made a big impact, registering 4 tackles, a sack, and a fumble recovery.

He re-signed last year, and was on the practice squad, before getting another short stint on the active roster. He was claimed by the Texans after being released last year, then spent time on a few practice squads. Orchard was signed to the Packers practice squad less than 3 weeks ago, and now he is on Washington’s 53-man roster again.

Washington needs help on defense with several defensive linemen and linebackers on the reserve list. Vaccinated players like Jonathan Allen who tested positive can be cleared to return after 2 negative COVID tests 24 hours apart. As of this morning, none of them have been cleared, so a move was needed as Washington prepares for a big road game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Washington makes the Orchard signing official. They also announced that DT Hercules Mata'afa has been signed to the practice squad.