Jalyn Holmes hoping to return to DC after 'one of the best years of my career' with Commanders

Jalyn Holmes joined the Commanders in October and got some good run as a rotational defensive lineman, notching two sacks and a career-high five tackles for loss.

The fourth-round pick in 2018 has yet to really find his footing in the NFL, but as JP Finlay put it, ‘he gave Washington some really good snaps down the stretch and found a good spot’ – and the feeling was mutual.

“I had a ton of fun this season; it was dope to get into that locker room. Everybody had a really good unity in the locker room, from the players to the coaches, and to come in at that time and to get on that winning streak when I first got there, it was the most fun I had in my career, honestly,” Holmes told JP Finlay this week. “That just brings a lot of confidence, and it creates a swagger about how we work. I think we were kind of just focusing on day by day just making sure during the week that we put in the work, and it brought us together. Guys were hanging out and talking or playing cards, coming in early and staying late, and I think that was the formula for success for us.”

Credit, of course, starts at the top, but belongs to everyone.

“The credit should definitely should be spread around, man. The coaches definitely helped create the culture and the environment for us in there, and then the team leaders, the guys who care, made it a priority to carry it through,” Holmes said. “That credit can go all around, man, from top to bottom.”

And definitely to the players, who got Holmes further than he had ever been in his career.

“It was like, survive and advance, and in those moments there, it was just like, battle through,” Holmes said. “It was surreal, like, in that moment of the doink kick (in Tampa), you can be real tense, and then you get in a locker room and it's a good feeling. It’s unfortunate we came up short in the Philly game – I think about that loss ever since it happened – but we know that every guy in that room cared and gave it their all. We have a special team and a special locker room, so I think we can be holding up a trophy at the end of the year.”

But, will the pending free agent be back to play once again with the upstart group that reached the NFC Championship Game?

“Definitely had one of my better years of my career here, and Washington is close to home (in Norfolk), so I definitely feel like I'm a great fit in that locker room, and definitely a place I would love to be,” Holmes said. “but I also understand the business side of things, and things gotta make sense. But, I'm definitely excited and optimistic about coming back.”