The Washington Football Team drafted Ryan Kerrigan No. 16 overall back in the 2011 NFL draft. Over the next 10 seasons, Kerrigan would play in 156 regular-season games for Washington, becoming the franchise’s all-time sack leader in 2020.
With first-round picks Montez Sweat and Chase Young on the roster, Washington chose to let Kerrigan leave after the 2020 season. It wasn’t a controversial decision, as Kerrigan wanted to play, and he wasn’t going to start in Washington.
So, it surprised some last spring when Kerrigan signed with division rival Philadelphia.
Kerrigan has played a part-time role for the Eagles in 2021, appearing in 15 games. He does not have a sack. In Kerrigan’s return to FedEx Field Sunday, he played 14 snaps for Philadelphia.
The Eagles won the game, 20-16, pulling off the season sweep.
During Kerrigan’s return, Washington did not acknowledge him. There was no message on the video board thanking him for his 10 years with Washington of service both on the field and off the field.
You shouldn’t be surprised. This is the same franchise that bungled the Sean Taylor jersey retirement.
There are mixed opinions on whether or not Washington should have acknowledged Kerrigan. Some believe since he plays for the Eagles, why acknowledge him? After all, at some point, he will be inducted into the team’s Ring of Fame.
I don’t agree.
How hard would it have been to put a graphic on the board before the game, or at halftime, saying “Thank you, Ryan?”
Kerrigan wasn’t just any player. In what was often an ugly decade, Washington had two consistent stars for most of that decade: Kerrigan and Trent Williams. Both will be in Washington’s Ring of Fame.
Kerrigan finished his Washington career with 95.5 sacks, surpassing franchise legend Dexter Manley for first place in the record book. Kerrigan was consistent, reliable and always a key member of the community.
He deserved better. He deserved at least 30 seconds of acknowledgment so the crowd could cheer him.
Does anyone remember how emotional it was for Kerrigan when he walked off FedEx Field last January for the last time? With no fans. Kerrigan didn’t even get a proper sendoff with fans. He deserved something.
The team did release a tweet the following day.
All love for RK
pic.twitter.com/u0sY3tAkLV
— Washington Football Team (@WashingtonNFL) January 3, 2022
In the grand scheme of things, it’s no big deal. But it’s another one of the little things this franchise could do to change the perception it has among fans.