The Washington Commanders signed Ramiz Ahmed, a former Green Bay Packers kicker, on Tuesday. Ahmed was released by the Birmingham Stallions of the UFL in late May after their main placekicker, Chris Blewitt, returned from injury. This season, Ahmed made 10 of 13 field goals and was 14 of 22 with a long of 61 yards while playing for the Pittsburgh Maulers in the 2022 USFL season.
After performing well with the Maulers, Ahmed joined the Packers in August 2022. He was placed on the practice squad after the final roster cuts and was occasionally activated for games as a kickoff specialist, a role where veteran kicker Mason Crosby had difficulties. Unfortunately, Ahmed injured his groin during warmups before Green Bay’s Week 17 game that year, ending his stint with the Packers.
Currently, Ahmed is the only kicker on the Commanders’ roster after they recently released Brandon McManus, who had been signed from the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency. McManus is now facing a lawsuit from two flight attendants alleging sexual assault on the Jaguars’ international flight to London last season.
It’s uncertain if Washington will add more kickers to their camp this summer, but for now, Ahmed is the sole kicker. This is quite a turnaround for Ahmed, who was released by a UFL team just a week ago. If the Commanders seek a kicker with NFL experience, they might monitor Green Bay, where Anders Carlson, former Minnesota Vikings kicker Greg Joseph, and Jack Podlesny are competing in OTA practices.
Don’t be surprised if another former Packers kicker ends up on the Commanders’ roster, although this is likely to happen closer to roster cutdowns.