National Football League

Predicting The Washington Redskins Inactives For Week 1 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 11:27 p.m. ET

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Jun 14, 2016; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Redskins head coach Jay Gruden (R) claps as Redskins wide receiver Josh Doctson (18) stands on the field during day one of minicamp at Redskins Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Redskins first game is tonight. Who will they leave on the bench for the season opener?

The Washington Redskins are playing their first game of the season tonight. We have gone through almost every question possible during the week, but one thing we have not looked at is the potential inactives for the game. As a whole, the Redskins are a pretty healthy teams, so it will be interesting to see who they choose to sit in the opener. With that in mind, here is a look at the seven players that we think they will sit in Week 1.

Aug 31, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Nate Sudfeld (2) drops to throw a pass during the second quarter of a football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

7. QB Nate Sudfeld

This one is a no-brainer. The Redskins do not need three quarterbacks active on game day, so the team will have to sit out one of them. I can guarantee that it will not be Kirk Cousins or Colt McCoy. Nate Sudfeld still has a lot of developing to do, and he will do that from the bench for his first NFL contest. Of all the players that are going to be sitting on the bench today, Sudfeld’s name is the most obvious.

If all goes according to plan for the Redskins this season, Sudfeld will probably be inactive for every game. The team has a couple of solid quarterbacks, and it is unlikely that Sudfeld will be able to take over for McCoy as a backup any time soon. Sudfeld did well to make the team, but he will not see action for what appears to be a long time.

Aug 13, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Washington Redskins offensive guard Arie Kouandjio (74) in a preseason NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

6. LG Arie Kouandjio

The Redskins elected to keep nine offensive linemen heading into the season, so it is likely that they will have to sit one or two of their guys every week. In the opening week, it appears as though Arie Kouandjio will be one of the least likely candidates to suit up.

Kouandjio was on the Redskins for four games last season, but the team simply has been options than him on the line. He only can play guard, and Spencer Long figures to be the backup across the interior line. As a result, it will be hard for Koaundjio to get on the field.

However, Long has been banged up a bit lately so there is still an outside chance that the Redskins may have to sit him this game. Still, he was a full participant in practice over the past couple of days, so it is hard to imagine that he would sit out the first game as a precaution.

Jul 30, 2015; Richmond, VA, USA; Washington Redskins center Austin Reiter (62) and Redskins tackle Ty Nsekhe (79) walk with teammates onto the field prior to the morning walkthrough on day one of training camp at the Washington Redskins Bon Secours Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

5. C Austin Reiter

And here is the other lineman that will be sitting out the game for the Redskins. Austin Reiter is more versatile than Kouandjio, but he still is not quite as strong of a player as Long. Reiter seems destined to ride the bench for a couple of weeks. After that, he may take over as the primary backup, especially if Kory Lichtensteiger continues to decline.

For now, Reiter is just a depth option for the team. In the future, he could end up being activated and get some serious reps at center. It all depends on how the Redskins line plays to start the season.

Aug 19, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins linebacker Terence Garvin (52) breaks up a pass intended for New York Jets wide receiver Charone Peake (17) during the second half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

4. LB Terence Garvin

This will be a difficult decision for Jay Gruden to make. Terence Garvin is a special teams standout who will likely see action in many games. However, in the first week it may be hard to see the field because of some other inactive players.

Garvin is the fifth linebacker on the Redskins roster, meaning that he will not see significant time on the field other than for special teams. As a result, the Redskins may have to sit him in games where they need depth at other positions. In this game, Houston Bates, another special teams stud, will need to stay active to help out on defense in certain circumstances. He is a rush linebacker and the team has less depth at that position.

Garvin will likely be able to suit up in Week 2, but for this week he will have to sit out. It is unfortunate, as it is very fun to watch the special teams ace play.

Jan 3, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brice Butler (19) runs the ball after catching a pass against Washington Redskins cornerback Bashaud Breeland (26) and cornerback Deshazor Everett (22) in the second quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

3. S Deshazor Everett

The Redskins definitely cannot keep five safeties active on game day. So long as they are all healthy, Deshazor Everett will bet the one who is forced to sit.

Everett is a very solid tackler and special teamer, but he can struggle in coverage at time. He is best suited in a role that allows him to move around and make tackles when he is on the field. The Redskins do not need that against the Steelers’ tough offensive passing game, so Everett will have to sit this week.

On special teams, Everett will be missed, but the aforementioned Bates will help compensate for his loss. He will get on the field at some point, just not in the opening week of the season.

Nov 29, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; San Diego Chargers defensive end Kendall Reyes (91) tackles Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles (5) in the fourth quarter at EverBank Field. The Chargers won 31-25. Mandatory Credit: Jim Steve-USA TODAY Sports

2. DE Kendall Reyes

This is probably one of the bigger surprises of this list. Kendall Reyes was limited in practice for most of the week before being a full go on Friday. However, the team may elect to be cautious with Reyes. They have decent defensive line depth and they should be able to compensate for his loss. If the team is worried about dressing just five defensive linemen, they can always use Trent Murphy as a situational down lineman.

Reyes’ injury is related to the groin, and the team should be worried about putting too much stress on that. If Reyes were to make the injury any worse, then he may have to miss multiple weeks down the line. If I were the team, I would give him a week off and just see where he is at for the next game. It is better to have him healthy late in the year than to have him healthy for the opener.

Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Josh Doctson (TCU) with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Washington Redskins as the number twenty-two overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at Auditorium Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

1. WR Josh Doctson

Sitting Josh Doctson is definitely the right course of action for the Redskins. The rookie receiver missed the entire preseason with an Achilles injury, and he only came off of the PUP list a little over a week ago. The team will ensure that he is fully healthy before he gets on the field as they do not want to risk derailing the career of their first round pick.

Also, Doctson is probably not fully up to speed on everything in the Redskins playbook. He needs to be able to get up to speed on the routes and get used to working with Cousins at game speed. It will only take him a couple of weeks to do that in practice and that will allow him time to get healthy as well. Sitting him this week will be a win-win for the team.