Mike Sainristil’s rookie season in 2024 was a year to remember. The next one, in 2025, was a year to forget.
How quickly the tides can turn for a player, but such is life in the NFL. And with that I give you a key discussion point heading into the 2026 campaign — the curious case of Mike Sainristil.
A few days ago, our very own Scott Bair wrote this article making the case that Adam Peters should sign veteran journeyman cornerback Rasul Douglas to come in and “compete” with Sainristil for a position
opposite second year corner Trey Amos.
The argument was made that the Commanders need both depth and competition and that signing the soon-to-be 31-year-old veteran could help “fortify” the position.
I was a bit vocal in my response to that article, being very against bringing in yet another older, less-athletic veteran that could stunt the growth our one of our younger players.
First, let’s address the Douglas situation:
Rasul Douglas
The former No. 99 overall pick from the 2017 NFL draft has bounced around the league since being waived by the Eagles in the summer of 2020. He was a backup with Philly during his first three years in the league and, despite his good size and length, he just didn’t possess the athleticism needed to flourish as a starter.
After failing to play out his rookie deal in Philadelphia, Douglas was claimed by the Panthers. He went on to start 11 games that year for Matt Rhule’s 5-11 squad.
He signed a contract with the Raiders the following offseason during the third phase of free agency. He was released in late August and, after going unclaimed, he signed two days later with the Houston Texans. He lasted all of six days before being cut. He was later signed to the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad.
Due to a rash of injuries during the first month of the 2021 NFL season, the Packers signed Rasul off Arizona’s practice squad to their active roster in early October. He would go on to play very well as the third corner in Green Bay, finishing with a career high five interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns.
The following season, the Packers signed Douglas to a three-year, $21M extension. Like much of his career, his time in Green Bay didn’t last very long, as he was traded midway through the 2023 season to the Bills along with a fifth-round pick for a third rounder. He finished the 2023 season with the Bills on a strong note and went on to be a starter over 15 games in 2024 despite coverage struggles on the outside.
Douglas became a free agent in 2025 and went through the offseason without a team before signing with the Dolphins right before the start of the season after they traded away veteran Jalen Ramsey at the end of July. Despite some up and down play he was viewed as a coach on the field for the tanking ‘Phins.
And, yes, as you may have guessed, he’s yet again a street free agent heading into the summer of 2026.
The curious case of Mike Sainristil
The quick rise and rapid fall of Mike Sainristil is well documented in Commanders land.
The diminutive second-round draft pick (5-10, 182) came on strong as a rookie, playing in both the slot and on the boundary while starting 16 of 17 regular season games. Sainristil had 93 combined tackles and picked off two passes (with 14 defended) in the regular season. He performed well in the 2024 playoffs. He had two more interceptions, including a touchdown-saving stab against the Lions in the end zone during a blowout win that landed Washington in the NFC Championship game.
The Mikey-Hype was big coming into the 2025 season. There was talk after drafting Trey Amos and getting Marshon Lattimore back healthy that he would move back to the slot — an area where he was drafted to play.
Unfortunately, untimely injuries and up-and-down play led to him eventually being moved back to the outside where he struggled in a patchwork defense. This was the second straight season where he was bounced around between the slot and boundary.
His lack of height and recovery speed were questioned by media and fans alike throughout the season, and rightfully so.
Sainristil crashed back to earth during his second season and finished in the top 10 in both yards and touchdowns allowed.
So, what happened to the 2024 Sainristil we all marveled at?
It T’was … the scheme!
Hold on Ralphie, no Lifebuoy here. This is a bad case of misusing a player’s talent.
Coming out of Michigan, Sainristil was known as a ferocious zone defender with good twitch and footwork to match. The receiver-turned-cornerback was a team captain and instrumental player during the Wolverines’ 2023 national-championship run.
When used to his strengths at Michigan, Sainristil was an anticipatory defensive back who had a propensity for jumping routes from the slot, showing up big on timely blitzes and creating turnovers.
His back pedal and hips were not as refined due to him being a former wide receiver, so Sainristil would struggle with press-man/hip-trail assignments, however Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter didn’t use him that way very often.
As a rookie in Washington under first-year coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., Sainristil was allowed to play a lot with his eyes into the backfield — a technique that was comfortable to him. Here, he could see route combos manifest in front of him and use his exceptional read-and-react skills to break on the football, much like he did at Michigan.
He even did an excellent job playing the run.
As Whitt progressed in his role as defensive coordinator from 2024 to 2025, more complex coverages were used. We saw a lot of match-up-man and cover 3 man in 2025, something Lattimore and Amos were used to but something Sainristil struggled a bit with.
There were also injuries to account for that affected the entire team. A severe lack of a pass rush and slow linebacker play put more stress on the back end of the defense, requiring guys to try and cover for three seconds or longer. The injuries also thwarted what little chemistry had been built between the corners and safeties and made communication very difficult.
Notice the miscommunication between the safety and Sainristil in the above clip.
Not knowing the exact coverage that was called, it’s hard to pin the blame here but, from my eye, I think the safety should have carried this vertical route while Mikey picks up the tight end. This is just one example of a myriad of miscues we all witnessed during the 2025 season.
Regardless of what player we pin the blame on, to me it was Whitt trying to get too cute without all the right pieces in place to effectively do so, and NOT using his players to their strengths.
How will Daronte Jones use Sainristil?
As I mentioned above, Sainristil is at his best when he can play with his eyes towards the quarterback, allowing his quick-twitch zone superpowers to kick in.
If we look at the model of the Brian Flores defense, you will see an aggressive, attacking scheme designed to confuse the quarterback and make him get rid of the ball fast. The back end relies on a heavy dose of zone principles, including Cover 2, Quarters and Palms with some match-up man coverage concepts. Although we don’t yet know exactly how this new scheme will look, we can assume it will mirror what Jones has taught his defensive backs in Minnesota since 2022.
According to Jones, it’s all about the players first and scheme second – meaning he’s going to play this defense to his players’ strengths instead of trying to force a square peg into a round hole by not asking the men to do things that don’t fit their game. This, in my opinion, will greatly benefit a young player like Sainristil.
It is of my opinion that Sainristil is better on the outside than he is in the slot, but I do expect Jones to flip him and Amik Robertson around a bit in order to confuse defenses and keep quarterbacks guessing.
A bounce-back season
Many fans are ready to kick Mike Sainristil to the bench — for Rasul Douglas or Trevon Diggs! — but I am not one of them. I believe in his ability and believe good coaching and an effective scheme will help bring out the best in the young player.
I have seen the veteran stopgaps that Adam Peters has brought in and those players did not pay off in what was supposed to be a 2025 run. I would not be in favor of stunting Sainristil’s development in favor of a veteran 31-year-old journeyman.
The Mike Sainristil I expect to see is here:
Commanders cornerback depth
As is necessary on any football team, quality depth is a key component. Some within Washington’s fanbase feel we are lacking depth. I feel differently.
In any case, the players need to fit the scheme and the scheme needs to fit the players. This is counting both starters and depth. Washington should head into mandatory minicamp with Trey Amos, Mike Sainristil and Amik Robertson penciled in as starters with the following depth:
- Ahkello Witherspoon (31 years old) 6-foot-2, 215 pounds – 96 games, 61 starts, 13 INTs
- Antonio Hamilton (33) 6-0, 188 – 124 games, 19 starts, 2 INT’s
- Trey Hawkins (25) 6-2, 195 – 21 games, 4 starts, 1 INT
- Darius Rush (26) 6-2, 198
- Car’lin Vigers (23) 6-2, 200
- Fred Davis II (R) (24) 6-1, 200
*Quan Martin – Slot CB experience
One thing I take notice of here is the length and athleticism the Commanders have in their young depth. Even an older veteran like Witherspoon is a good athlete in his own right with exceptional length, size and versatility. Finally, Washington has safety Quan Martin who could also see time as a slot corner (a position he was drafted to play coming out of Illinois) in certain sets.
Whichever Mike Sainristil you choose to look at; the really good 2024 version or the one who struggled throughout most of 2025, one thing is certain – this young man has the skills to play at a high level in this league if used correctly in Washington’s defense.
I have not lost hope in the young man… have you? Let me know in the comments below.
