A day after being cut by the San Francisco 49ers, the Washington Commanders claimed former Penn State cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields off waivers.
Commanders claim 2 DBs off waivers – Tariq Fields-Castro from 49ers and Rachad Wildgoose from the Jets
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) August 31, 2022
After five seasons at Penn State, the 49ers took Castro-Fields in the sixth round of this past spring’s draft. Castro-Fields signed a four-year, $3.8 million rookie contract in early June.
Casteo-Fieldsโs hometown is Upper Marlboro, Maryland, which is roughly 40 minutes away from Washington.
They done sent that boy home ๐ฑ๐ฑ https://t.co/WrxzuSrb6a
— Dr. Arnold Ebiketie (@A7chronic) August 31, 2022
At Penn State, he made All-Big Ten honorable mention three times. His best year came in 2019, where he ended the season with 52 tackles, three tackles for loss and two interceptions.
Although Castro-Fields struggled in some areas at Penn State, such as open-field tackling, he has qualities that appeal to NFL teams, his speed being one of them.
He showed off his wheels at this past spring’s NFL combine, where he ran a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash.
In Washington, Castro-Fields will reunite with Jahan Dotson. The Commanders’ first-round pick (16 overall) was teammates with Castro-Fields for four seasons at Penn State.
After Castro-Fields got drafted by the 49ers, Penn State coach James Franklin said in a written statement that he was “confident” that Castro-Fields would “make a seamless transition to the NFL and bring with him a veteran presence that few rookies possess.”
“I am confident Tariq will make a seamless transition into the NFL and bring with him a veteran presence few rookies possess.”
“Tariq played in 52 career games for us at Penn State over the past five years, starting 30 of them,” the statement read. “He has triumphed in the face of adversity after missing the bulk of the 2020 season due to injury and came back even stronger for his final season. Tariq’s work ethic was not just limited to football, as he earned his degree in sociology. I am excited for Tariq’s future at the next level and wish him continued success for many years to come.”
