Former Louisville football star Ja'Corey Brooks received crushing news on Tuesday afternoon as the star receiver will no longer be with the Washington Commanders after not making their 53-man roster.
Brooks was on the fence the entire offseason and preseason about whether Washington would keep him, but it appears the former 5-star recruit just missed the cut and will now begin the next chapter of his NFL dream.
Today’s cuts: pic.twitter.com/NWYF8XHXaQ
— John Keim (@john_keim) August 26, 2025
Related: Former Louisville football star turning heads after first NFL preseason performance
Washington Commanders give Ja'Corey Brooks harsh reality check
Brooks got off to a red-hot start with the Commanders as he earned three touchdowns in the first two days of training camp, and was hoping to carry his breakout performance into the preseason. After earning standout performer week one of training camp, Brooks kept making some noise, including a ridiculous one-handed catch days before the Commanders' first preseason game.
There, Brooks went on to lead the team in their first preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens with five catches for 59 yards. However, after earning just one catch for seven yards in the second game and just four catches for 24 yards in the final preseason matchup, the nightmare scenario for the undrafted rookie started to settle in.
The icing on the cake was when star wide receiver Terry McLaurin and the Commanders agreed on a 3-year deal worth up to $96 million. The star receiver was holding out all preseason, giving Brooks a shot at making the team. However, they reached a deal just the day before roster cuts, which was a key reason why Brooks' NFL dreams fell short.
Brooks logged a total of 10 catches for 90 yards in his three preseason games and showed potential. The 6-foot-3 195 195-pound receiver was one of the most dominant receivers in college football last season after earning 61 catches for 1,013 yards and nine touchdowns. He will most likely get another opportunity to achieve his NFL dreams, but for now, he must play the waiting game.
Related: Former Louisville star WR and Commanders undrafted steal making waves in offseason
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