Getty
Ahkello Witherspoon #4 of the Los Angeles Rams in action against the Minnesota Vikings NFC Wild Card Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Rams remade their secondary this offseason, trading for Trent McDuffie and signing Jaylen Watson. However, it took until Thursday for 2025 Week 1 starter Ahkello Witherspoon to officially have his Rams tenure come to an end.
Fittingly, Witherspoon is turning to a familiar face for his next chapter. The move sets the stage for a revenge matchup this coming season.
That is, if Witherspoon can avoid the pitfalls that got him this past season.
Former Rams CB Ahkello Witherspoon Joins Upcoming Opponent
GettyAhkello Witherspoon #44 of the Los Angeles Rams.
“The #Commanders are signing veteran CB Ahkello Witherspoon following his visit to the team today, sources say,” NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported on X on March 26. “After three seasons with the #Rams, Witherspoon heads to Washington, rejoining GM Adam Peters, who was with the #49ers when the team drafted Witherspoon.
The 49ers drafted Witherspoon 66th overall during the 2017 draft. Witherspoon garnered attention with his visit to the Commanders earlier in the day, with the two sides making a relatively quick decision.
Witherspoon joined the Rams after a two-year stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He started 24 of his 36 games with the Rams. He logged 91 total tackles, 5 interceptions, and 2 fumble recoveries during his tenure.
Rams head coach Sean McVay lamented losing Witherspoon for multiple weeks during the 2025 season due to a broken collarbone, telling reporters in September 2025, “I feel terrible for Ahkello. Love him. It’s such a bummer.”
Witherspoon returned to action in Week 13, and he played in the NFC Wild Card Playoffs.
Witherspoon was on a one-year, $1.2 million contract with the Rams, and he has earned $17.9 million in his career. The veteran, who turned 31 on March 21, will now head to the NFC East.
Despite Witherspoon’s contributions during his time in LA, and McVay’s strong sentiments after losing him to injury, the Rams have already done well to move on. They were always expected to revamp their secondary, albeit perhaps not to the extent that they have.
Witherspoon’s production and durability have trended downward in recent seasons.
He allowed 48.1% completion in his coverage while starting all 17 games for the Rams in 2023, per Pro Football Reference.
Witherspoon allowed 65.3% completion in 2024 and 62.3% completion in 2025, while appearing in 19 games with seven starts for the Rams. He will need to reverse those trends to earn extensive playing time with the Commanders.
Ahkello Witherspoon Set Up for Revenge Match
GettyAhkello Witherspoon #4 of the Los Angeles Rams during the NFL playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings.
It remains to see how significant a commitment the Commanders have made to Witherspoon, but the decision sets the stage for a potential revenge matchup against the Rams during the 2026 season.
Washington is one of the opponents the Rams will visit during the regular season. The exact date of the matchup remains unclear, though.
Notably, McVay is 2-1 against the Commanders as Rams head coach.
The Rams have not lost to the Commanders since McVay’s first season at the helm. Of course, McVay rose through the ranks most in Washington before the Rams hired him away during the 2017 offseason.
Josh Buckhalter covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. He has covered both leagues since 2016, including bylines at FanSided, Last Word on Sports and Clocker Sports. He’s based in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck More about Josh Buckhalter
More Heavy on Rams
Loading more stories