Jonathan Allen’s return for the Commanders costs another former Alabama lineman his roster spot

With the opportunity to secure a postseason spot on Sunday, the Washington Commanders welcomed defensive tackle Jonathan Allen back to their active roster on Saturday.

Allen’s return cost another former Alabama lineman his spot on the NFL roster, as the Commanders waived defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis to secure a spot on their 53-man active roster.

When Allen suffered a chest injury in the third quarter of a 30-23 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Oct. 13, his eighth NFL season appeared to be over and he was forced to undergo surgery.

But Allen returned to practice on Dec. 19, and after missing nine games, he is eligible to play when Washington plays the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday at 7:20 p.m. CST at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. NBC will televise the game.

A Commanders win would increase Washington’s record to 11-5 and secure a spot in the NFC playoff field.

Mathis played a career-high 257 defensive snaps for the Commanders this season. However, he was classified as inactive on matchdays in each of the last three games.

A second-round draft pick in 2022, Mathis suffered a knee injury in the third game of his NFL career and missed the remainder of his rookie season. In 2023, Mathis opened the season as a substitute after suffering a calf injury in preseason and missing the first seven games.