Early in the course of the 2016 NFL season, the Washington Redskins brought John Sullivan to their team. The lifelong Minnesota Viking had been cut midway through the preseason, and the 31-year-old had languished on the market for about a month. After the Redskins signed him, Sullivan provided the team with excellent depth and made a spot start for Spencer Long late in the season. He proved that he still has what it takes to be a quality NFL player.
Since Sullivan had only agreed to a one year pact with the Redskins, he was set to become a free agent after the season.