The Washington Redskins released D.J. Swearinger on Monday, two days after the veteran safety openly ripped defensive coordinator Greg Manusky’s play calling following the team’s 25-16 loss to the Tennessee Titans.
Swearinger told 106.7 The Fan he was called into coach Jay Gruden’s office and was let go.
On Sunday, Gruden said he was “quite disappointed” with Swearinger, adding he wanted to meet with the 27-year-old before taking any disciplinary action.
In that meeting, Swearinger said the only thing Gruden told him was that “I’ve been in his meeting room three times and he’s going to release me.” Gruden did not elaborate when Swearinger asked why, the safety said.
“I don’t have words for this, man,” Swearinger said. “I had a Pro Bowl year. I came here and had eight interceptions in two years. I was a captain in Year 1. This year, I thought I improved on everything. And I did a slap in the face and get released.
“You never know what could be said up top or what’s going on, but on my end, I knew I gave it all, put my heart into it every single week trying to do the best I could to win games and get into the playoffs. I guess it says a lot about the organization.”
Swearinger first joined the Redskins as a free agent in 2017, signing a three-year, $13.5 million contract. Washington was the 27-year-old’s fourth team in five years as Swearinger had a history of clashes with coaches and inconsistent play.
With Washington, teammates and coaches appreciated his vocal leadership style, and Swearinger impressed on the field with his hard-hitting and ability to force turnovers. But he also caused disruptions at times with his criticism of the team’s approach to practices after losses, and his thinly-veiled shots directed at the coaching staff ramped up even more in his second year.
Before Sunday, Gruden had excused or ignored the outspoken player’s carping and second-guessing.
After Washington’s loss at Tennessee, Swearinger blasted Manusky’s play-calling — saying the team wasn’t aggressive enough against a “backup quarterback” in Blaine Gabbert, who took over for an injured Marcus Mariota in the second quarter. He specifically took issue with the Redskins being in man coverage on a crucial third-and-7 late in the game.
On that play, cornerback Fabian Moreau was called for holding and the Titans went on to score. Swearinger said the Redskins should have been in a zone defense.
“I don’t know if he really understands that what he’s doing is not helpful one bit,” Gruden said. “It is a distraction. … At some point, we are in this together and the players or player has to understand that we are working extremely hard and coach Manusky is working extremely hard that we don’t need any of that stuff after a game.”
Swearinger told reporters he was speaking for the entire defense when criticizing Manusky, but defensive lineman Jonathan Allen tweeted after the loss that the defensive coordinator “called a great game.” During his radio interview, Swearinger was asked about Allen’s tweet and the safety responded by pointing out the difference in their positions and experience.
“Jonathan Allen had a great game,” Swearinger said. “Why wouldn’t he say that after he had a great game? If he has a great game then of course he’s going to say we called a great game. But like I said, he doesn’t play in the coverage. He doesn’t play in the back. He never knows what’s going on in the back end. So for him to say that, he’s taking up for his d-coordinator as he should.
“But from my end, I’m taking up for the players and the guys that’s going out there for war with me … like all the guys in the back end that feel the same way about how we played defense. That’s all that it is, man.”
Swearinger, who has 51 tackles and four interceptions this season, was not named a captain in 2018.
He said that he was voted by his teammates to hold the title again and ended up a three-way tie, but coaches didn’t want him to be a captain.
“It’s not rocket science why I wasn’t the captain,” Swearinger said. “I’m a vocal guy, a passionate guy that wants to win. If the coaches feel like I’m too smart or I’m a weapon as far as my smarts are concerned …. they got to release the guy that has knowledge or has respect in the locker room, I guess.”
By cutting Swearinger, the Redskins will save $4.5 million in 2019. The safety carries $1.3 million in dead money, and the team will again search to find another safety this offseason.
Safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix will also be a free agent and safety Montae Nicholson’s future is not known after he was arrested for assault and battery earlier this month.
Swearinger said he was initially shocked, but is now at peace with the team’s decision to cut him loose. He is now eligible to be claimed on waivers.
“I am peaceful now because I know laid everything on the line and did it the right way,” Swearinger said. “I might rub some people the wrong way with some of the things that I said in the media, but at the end of the day, those things, they’re only going to help us win. It’s only going to raise eyes to the right people. If they want to win, something will change, something will happen. But if they don’t want to win then it is what it is.”
Swearinger criticized the team’s approach to practice again Monday when asked by 106.7 The Fan about what the Redskins should be doing differently. He said Arizona, his last team, practice “10 times harder than here.”
“it’s kinda crazy that every time a player that comes here from another team they like, ’Man, this is so laid back,’” Swearinger said. “But I guess that’s just what type of practices we have. … It would be less of a man of me to stoop down to the mediocre when I’m not a mediocre guy. I don’t like practicing mediocre. I don’t like preparing mediocre.”
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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