The Washington Redskins reached a one-year agreement worth up to $4.1 million with outside linebacker Junior Galette late Tuesday night, according to a person familiar with the situation.
Galette, who signed with the Redskins last offseason, never got the chance to play in a regular-season game after he tore his left Achilles’ tendon in a preseason practice. Washington’s coaching staff had high hopes pairing the explosive pass rusher with Ryan Kerrigan, but those plans were put on hold after the injury.
The Redskins signed Galette to a one-year, $745,000 contract after he was released by the New Orleans Saints last July. The 27-year-old signed a lucrative four-year, $41.5 million extension with the Saints in September 2014, but the team decided to part ways because of Galette’s personal issues.
In January 2015, Galette was the subject of a domestic violence allegation, but those charges were dismissed the next month. Last June, a two-year-old video surfaced on the Internet, in which a person who appeared to be Galette was striking people with a belt on the beach.
Despite his release from the Saints, Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan felt comfortable signing Galette. It was a low-risk contract for a player that could have a strong impact. In Galette’s previous two seasons, he recorded 22 sacks.
According to a person familiar with the situation, Galette was seeking a one-year deal with a higher salary than the Redskins were willing to give him. Washington, which held the first right of refusal on subsequent offers, had leverage in negotiations.
After finally reaching an agreement, Galette will have a chance to prove what the Redskins had once hoped to see from him. When Redskins player cleaned out their lockers in mid-January following a playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers, Galette vowed to stay in Ashburn, Virginia for the offseason so he could remain close to the facility and train.
Rookie Preston Smith and Trent Murphy shared playing time in Galette’s absence. Smith finished the season strong and had eight sacks, including four in his final three games. However, the Redskins’ pass rush was never able to maintain a high level of consistency. The Redskins finished the season with 38 sacks — tied for 14th.
The team released veteran defensive end Jason Hatcher prior to the start of free agency and decided not to bring back nose tackle Terrance Knighton. They re-signed veteran nose tackle Kedric Golston and added former San Diego Chargers defensive end Kendall Reyes.
• Anthony Gulizia can be reached at agulizia@washingtontimes.com.
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