Over the span of a month and a half back in 2021, Rasul Douglas earned a lot of airline miles.
The defensive back was released from the Raiders on Aug. 23, and signed with the Texans two days later. Less than a week after that, he was released again. Three days went by before Douglas was added to the Cardinals practice squad, a marriage that lasted an eternity (33 days) compared to his previous stops. He then joined Green Bay, where he’d stay for the next two seasons.
Douglas has signed with nine teams over his 10-year career, never staying in one place for longer than three years. He signed with the Commanders on July 9, more than a month after offseason practices started and just a few weeks before training camp. With Washington already facing some injury issues at the position, Douglas may be called upon to step up as a late-arriving starter, something he has done many times in his career.
To the average person, that’s asking a lot. For Douglas, it’s just another day in the NFL.
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“You just get there, learn as much as you can, and then it’s work,” he said.
The Commanders signed Douglas last month after second-year cornerback Trey Amos, a presumed starter, missed all of June’s organized team activities and minicamp as he recovers from a broken fibula.
Compared to last year, this last-minute signing felt more like an early-bird special for Douglas. He signed with the Dolphins on Aug. 26, 2025, and played in the team’s first game on Sept. 7. In Week 2, he started. Despite having little time to learn the playbook, Douglas had one of his best seasons as a pro. His 13 pass breakups were one short of tying a career high.
“Last year I came to Miami two days before the first game,” Douglas said. “[By] the 10th play of that game, I’m out there playing, and it was like, ‘I don’t know what’s going on.’ Coach said, ‘Look, I’m just gonna tell you [what to do] before every play.’ So, it’s different. You just gotta be ready.”
That stop in Miami (the team did not renew his one-year deal) was just the latest of many short stays over the years.
The West Virginia product spent three years with the Eagles after being selected in the third round of the 2017 draft. He then signed with the Panthers for the 2020 season, playing in his first game two weeks after agreeing to a one-year deal. On April 19, 2021, he signed with the Raiders but was released four months later after getting into what he calls an “altercation” with a teammate.
He was on the Texans roster for a week before testing positive for COVID-19 and getting cut. That started the chain of events that led him to Green Bay. He signed with the Packers on Oct. 6, 2021, and played 11 days later. After two seasons, he was traded to the Bills on Oct. 31, 2023, and played for them the very next week.
He said teammates and coaches have been invaluable in getting him up to speed once he joins a roster. This summer, Douglas can often be seen getting extra reps after training camp, working with receivers and defensive backs on guarding releases and eye discipline.
Douglas admits that, early in his career, he didn’t have the best study habits. Watching film in Philadelphia, he’d get distracted by the receivers’ highlight plays and neglect to pay attention to what the defensive back did wrong.
But during the 2020 and 2021 seasons he worked with defensive back coaches Jason Simmons (Panthers) and Jerry Gray (Packers), who taught Douglas — in ways he understood — how to properly study film and learn defensive schemes. Gray, currently the defensive pass-game coordinator for the 49ers, encouraged Douglas to lean into his aggressive playmaking style.
“Everybody knows I have good rock feels,” Douglas said, referring to his ability to spot a receiver’s route intentions. “So you might get a double move every once in a while, but that’s just to keep you honest and make sure you’re actually looking at the guy instead of looking at the concepts.”
Commanders coach Dan Quinn said he didn’t realize Douglas had so much experience as a last-minute starter when the team signed him. But Quinn is confident Douglas can lean on his skills while he learns new terminology.
“Because of his length, he can maybe get to some spaces that others don’t,” Quinn said. “I think he’s got good patience on the ball that goes down the field.”
Those skills only seem to get sharper with time. From 2018 to 2020, Douglas allowed a 63.4% completion percentage and 107.1 passer rating as the closest defender, according to Pro Football Reference. Last season in Miami, Douglas allowed a 54.5% completion percentage and 73.0 passer rating.
“It’s always good to have a guy like that in your room and just listen to him when he talks and just be on the same page and catch him up as quickly as possible because we know he can contribute,” safety Quan Martin said.
Amos returned to practice on Aug. 7 but lasted just two practices before injuring his ankle. Douglas, who has gotten most of the first-team reps at corner in Amos’ absence, may well have to step in as a starter for Washington come Week 1.
All this movement isn’t something Douglas will ever really get used to. But at this point in his career, he understands that playing the game he loves might mean keeping the Zillow app on his homescreen.
“It’s been hard, but I mean, it’s what it takes to play football,” he said. “So, if you want to do it and you love doing it, you’re going to do it. Luckily, I’m not moving a lot of people. It’s really just me. So, it’s all right.”
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