The Commanders’ third-year defensive tackle was due to be at the team facility for the team’s first training camp start under new coach Dan Quinn. Check-in began at 11 a.m. Tuesday, with the first team meeting beginning at 1 p.m.
Mathis didn’t want to risk anything, so he finally got on a flight to Atlanta, then a flight to Roanoke, then got in his car and drove the remaining 225 miles to Ashburn, arriving there around 3 a.m.
“I had to get there on time,” he said. “I didn’t want to be late on the first day.”
Mathis may have been hazy, but his complex journey spoke volumes to Quinn.
“It shows how much he wanted to leave his mark and make an impression,” the coach said. “He would have been here on time. He would have been here at 11:30 that morning. He didn’t have it. He didn’t leave anything to chance.”
Mathis and other returning players who have been up and down in Washington over the past few seasons are getting a fresh start with Quinn and his staff, with many praising the “energy” around the team and the competition on the field.
But the complete exclusion of players from the new regime means some of the 43 players who spent part of last season with the Commanders will have to prove themselves once again to take their places and secure a future under the new regime.
“I feel like everything is on the line right now, especially for me, having basically missed two years,” Mathis said. “So I just have to take care of my body, stay healthy, stay on the field. I just want to contribute.”
Mathis, a second-round pick out of Alabama in 2022, missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury and more time last season with a calf injury. He played in 10 games in 2023, averaging just 19 defensive snaps and eight tackles.
He said the road back was tough, both physically and mentally, and he noted that just thinking back to the past two seasons brings up emotions. But he expects this year to be different, in part because of the offseason, which he described as the best season he’s had as a pro. Mathis worked with some of the league’s veteran defensive linemen, including Green Bay Packers defensive end Rashan Gary. The two trained together at Starr’s Sports Academy in Frisco, Texas, and Mathis had the opportunity to follow Gary’s prescription and get his thoughts on his approach to the position.
Mattis’ goal for 2024 is simple.
“This year, I’m going to focus solely on proving that my haters are wrong and that’s why they brought me here in the first place,” he said.
Fellow Commanders defensive tackle John Ridgeway, who briefly played under Quinn in Dallas before Washington signed him in 2022, had similar thoughts and found his own way to stand out: losing weight.
Ridgeway lost about 20 pounds after offseason practice to improve his conditioning and get ready for the game.
“I really love Italian food, so I try not to eat too much of it,” he said. “And when I do eat, I have a big plate of chicken or red meat with a little bit of carbs or vegetables. It’s a bit like a carnivore diet. I still try to enjoy my food, but I try to eat clean and get on the treadmill.”
No more McDonald’s, no more Five Guys. Instead, he gets 45 minutes of walking at 3.5 mph on a level 10 incline, burning about 500 calories per workout.
“Action Bronson does that,” Ridgeway said of the rapper, chef and TV personality. “He’s a big guy and he’s lost a lot of weight, so he said, ‘I’ll give it a try.'”
Ridgeway’s method worked. He started organized team activities at 338 pounds and then dropped to 318 pounds by the time training camp began.
Ridgeway said it took him some time to adjust to his new size, but he has felt the difference on the field, which he hopes will give him more playing time on third downs and allow him to consider a bigger contract when his rookie deal expires in 2026.
“Those guys are thirsty,” Commanders defensive line coach Darryl Tapp said. “I couldn’t be happier with Phil and Ridgeway and even Daron. [Payne] And John [Allen]. They’re older players, so they’ve done a lot in this league. They have a beginner’s mentality. They’re not too big for the moment we’re in.”
He said the players have embraced Washington’s new philosophy. want Must teach.
Tapp’s instruction can be seen and heard. In an individual pass-rushing drill early in Thursday’s practice, Tapp instructed Ridgeway on hand placement while assistant defensive line coach Sharrif Floyd adjusted Ridgeway’s feet in a 4-point stance.
Ridgeway has length and power, but Tapp said a little finesse could make him more effective. Ridgeway’s slight adjustments to his hands and feet have made a big difference in reps, as he’s seemingly easily pushed off teammates standing as offensive linemen.
A teaching moment on the D-line: Between John Ridgeway’s two reps, DL coach Daryl Tapp showed him a technique to show him hand placement, while assistant DL coach Shareef Floyd adjusted his feet.
You can see the difference right away. pic.twitter.com/JD3fiu4hqM
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) July 25, 2024
Those little details could be crucial for Ridgeway, who was a key player in Washington’s defensive rotation last season but is getting a fresh start this season alongside Quinn, and is also looking for his first career sack.
Matisse knows that feeling.
“I think that’s something that a lot of players need, especially myself,” he said. “We just have a new coaching staff that’s pushing us. I think they get everything out of us. They make it exciting to be here every day. You can tell there’s a new standard here.”
