The Daily Slop – 22 August 2026
Editor’s note: Each day, Hogs Haven compiles a collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, with a sprinkling of other stuff. Enjoy!
Commanders links
Articles
Commanders.com
Mailbag: Soft tissue injuries & kick returners
How comfortable is the staff that Trey Amos will be ready to go for Week 1 in Philly? He’s practiced once since November 2025.
It seems like Amos is
making good progress with his ankle, so hopefully he will be on the field soon and get a few more practices under him before Week 1.
But your question is a fair one, because that’s a long time between games. I don’t know how the Commanders will handle his ramp-up process if it goes into the season, but if it’s anything like how they handled Brandon Coleman’s recovery process two years ago, they aren’t just going to throw him into the starting lineup. That wouldn’t be fair to anyone. They’ll likely ease him into things, giving him a handful of plays that will increase each week. Fortunately, the Commanders have players like Rasul Douglas and Amik Robertson who have looked impressive in camp, so the Commanders can afford to take their time with Amos.
Why is DQ taking precautions for soft tissue injuries? This is football and how are we supposed to build chemistry when we go a week of practice and the 1s aren’t playing together
Because soft tissue injuries are tricky, and if you’re not careful, they can become much worse.
I didn’t think I would have to put on my medical hat for this, but here we go. Soft tissue areas, like hamstrings, get a limited amount of blood flow compared to bones. They’re also required for us to move, which makes it harder for them to heal. They can be some of the most tedious injuries to heal from because the recovery process involves significantly limiting movement and slowly ramping things up to get the tissue back up to full strength. (I think it’s also appropriate to mention that I’m not a doctor or physical therapist. This is solely based on my personal experience with soft tissue injuries, so please don’t take my word as gospel.)
But here’s the real reason why Dan Quinn and other teams take soft tissue injuries seriously and have a cautious approach with rehabbing players who deal with them: a completely torn hamstring can take, at most, six months to heal, meaning that player would miss the entire season. That, of course, is just not ideal, so to avoid that, you have to be cautious with them, because strains are when they are the most vulnerable.
I can empathize with fans getting frustrated with players getting injured. I also want this team to be at full strength all the time, because I have high expectations for this season. But I also know the players and coaches are more frustrated. They want to play and give themselves the best chance to win, but it’s also their livelihood. Plus, I promise you that Dan Quinn would much rather have his players on the field instead of in the training room.
Who are the team’s kick returners?
I think they are still trying to figure that out. McCaffrey had some productive returns before his injury. He’s more of a straight-line runner, but he knows how to follow his blockers. He’s listed as the starting kick returner on the unofficial depth chart, so take that for what you will.
With that said, I think players like Henry are making the case to be the second kick returner. Henry’s quickness would be an asset on special teams, and it will play a vital role in whether he can make the roster.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Commanders Roundtable
Commanders vs Lions Preview: 3 story lines to watch
Sonny Styles’ Second Start
Say that five times fast. The centerpiece of Washington’s re-tooled defense delivered a solid—if quiet—first series in his NFL debut. But it was just one series. It is unfair to label a 21-year-old rookie “tentative” based on 14 snaps, especially considering he was immediately handed green-dot play-calling duties to align his teammates.
Styles flashed his high-end athletic traits against Miami, showing impressive range and depth in pass coverage. This week, I want to see him play fast from the opening whistle and trigger aggressively on his run fits.
What to Watch: Can the rookie play fast and shoot gaps to make plays at or behind the line of scrimmage? Furthermore, will fellow linebacker Leo Chenal step up? The high-priority free agent has had a relatively quiet camp so far. He was brought in to be a stout run defender, but we have yet to see him fully unleash that style in game action.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Yard Barker
Terry McLaurin compares himself to Stefon Diggs
During an appearance on the Commanders’ “Next Man Up,” McLaurin offered a colorful description of his early relationship with Diggs. The similarities apparently became obvious once the two receivers started working together.
“I kind of think of that Spider-Man meme where they’re both pointing at each other,” McLaurin said. “We’re the same guy on the field.”
McLaurin explained that both receivers bring passion, leadership and considerable energy to the offense. Neither player has built a career by quietly blending into the background.
Diggs has earned four Pro Bowl selections and one first-team All-Pro honor during his career. McLaurin has made the Pro Bowltwice while consistently producing despite Washington’s revolving door at quarterback.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
The Athletic (paywall)
Meet the NFL’s top players 25 and under. Coaches, scouts, execs rank them heading into 2026
Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders. Age: 25 (12/18/00)
Daniels turned Washington into a contender during a rookie season that saw him post a completion percentage of 69.0, the highest by a first-year quarterback in NFL history. His mobility makes him a constant threat. The Commanders just need to keep him healthy.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Sports Illlustrated
5 Biggest Questions Still Unanswered Entering Commanders Preseason Week 2
Who Is Actually Winning the Center Job?
The center position has become more than a question mark at this point after projected starter Nick Allegretti missed most of camp; Julian Good-Jones absorbed the majority of that load, while rookie Matt Gulbin continues to make his own push. The problem is, Good-Jones didn’t look very, well, good in the first preseason game against Miami. That doesn’t change how the staff views him, but it certainly suggests they aren’t comfortable with him as the center. Allegretti returned to practice this week, but before that session ended, he had what Quinn called “a light setback,” which causes even more delays in getting Jayden Daniels ready for the season, as the two must build some sort of chemistry.
Allegretti’s injury opened the door for Quinn to notice the guys behind him. “Both guys are really starting to make a move,” Quinn said, with Gulbin coming off a clean preseason opener and Good-Jones having accumulated significant work since early in camp. “So, over the next two weeks, or maybe two and a half weeks, we’ll call it,” he said. “I’d like to see what that rotation looks like with the three of these guys.”
The Real Question: Can Gulbin or Good-Jones create actual separation while Allegretti’s availability remains inconsistent?
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
From Riggo’s Rag:
The Commanders missed the boat. They may have only targeted Linderbaum and decided to roll with what their options already on the squad when he got a megabucks offer from Las Vegas.
Someone like Cade Mays, who eventually signed with the Detroit Lions, could have pushed (and probably beaten) Allegretti for the starting job. Lloyd Cushenberry, Ethan Pocic, Luke Fortner, or maybe even a higher-end draft pick would have been a better solution than Julian Good-Jones, who hasn’t shone over the summer and probably won’t make the 53-man roster.
To read more of this Riggo’s Rag article, CLICK HERE
Commanders Wire
5 position battles to watch for Commanders vs. Lions
Free safety
Jeremy Reaves has gotten a lot of reps with the first team. He didn’t suit up last week, as Will Harris and Quan Martin played. Head coach Dan Quinn said not to focus too much on that, as the opposite could happen this week. Reaves could start, and Martin could get the night off. Martin played well in last week’s game, and Quinn praised him last week. While Harris remains in the mix, this is a battle between Reaves and Martin. It will be interesting to see who starts against Detroit and if both play.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Riggo’s Rag
Commanders could be tempted by Joe Porter Jr. trade if the Steelers are willing
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, multiple teams around the league are wondering if the Pittsburgh Steelers might be willing to part ways with stud cornerback Joey Porter Jr. for the right trade offer. He’s next up for an extension, and the way this market is headed, the AFC North club could be tempted to cash in.
The reality may be a lot different, but it’s something to monitor all the same.
“Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. is a name multiple teams around the NFL have wondered about as a potential trade target, per sources. JPJ is in the final year of his rookie contract, and with where the CB market is, teams have wondered if Pittsburgh could ultimately be open to a move with the Pro Bowl-caliber corner.”
The Steelers will drive a hard bargain, even if Porter is out of contract next year. The compensation might be a little steep for Washington, and there is also the small matter of his megabucks contract extension to factor into the decision.
The annual average salary for cornerbacks at the high end is soaring. Five are now coming in at $30 million or more, with Devin Witherspoon of the Seattle Seahawks recently resetting the market at $33 million per year. Porter might not get that high, but won’t be far off.
And considering the Commanders could have a bumper extension to figure out with star quarterback Jayden Daniels next year, it could make building up the entire roster more difficult.
Porter would be an instant upgrade on anything the Commanders have. And at 26, his best years are ahead.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Podcasts & videos
Terry McLaurin Talks Jayden Daniels, Stefon Diggs & Commanders vs. Lions | Next Man Up | NFL
Thoughts Going into Preseason Game #2 | John Keim Report
SIT JAYDEN: Commanders Risk Too Much Playing Daniels vs Lions
NFC East links
NFL.com
Dallas Cowboys are true Super Bowl contenders in 2026; plus, three paper tigers
From 1992-95, Dallas played in four straight NFC Championship Games and won three Super Bowls. But over the last 30 years, the Cowboys haven’t made it past the Divisional Round, finishing with a losing record in each of the past two seasons. This, of course, hasn’t stopped many from annually hyping “America’s Team.” I’ve certainly done my part over the years, erroneously declaring “Dallas is BACK!” on numerous occasions. Yet, I’m ready to go back to the well once again — and this time, I mean it!
I’m not crying wolf: 2026 is the year the ‘Boys re-emerge as true Super Bowl contenders, and here’s why.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
NFL league links
Articles
NFL.com
Raiders’ Klint Kubiak not ready to name Week 1 QB; ‘reps’ key for Fernando Mendoza’s development
The fact Texans linebacker Wade Woodaz returned the pick for a touchdown is irrelevant to the larger conversation. What’s most important is that Mendoza made such a mistake (in which he threw the ball behind running back Mike Washington Jr.) and has the opportunity to learn from it.
The key, according to head coach Klint Kubiak, is more time on task.
“Reps,” Kubiak said on Friday when asked what might help Mendoza improve going forward. “I know that’s a short answer, but that’s the truth.”
“I just don’t think it ever benefits a player to know they have a spot secured,” Kubiak explained.
Kubiak was asked how Mendoza will be able to continue his development once practice reps are reduced if he is not the Week 1 starting QB.
“It’s a great point,” Kubiak. “We have experience as coaches on developing guys when they’re not starting a game. It’s staying early, leaving late. It’s using some technological tools at your disposal. But it’s really a lot of (quarterbacks coach Mike) Sullivan spending a lot of early morning and long nights with Fernando and Aidan [O’Connell]. … There’s things you can do. It’s never as good as getting all the reps in practice, but you do the best you can with what you’ve got.”
As of now, it seems Mendoza is still on the long-term track laid by Kubiak, which doesn’t include a guarantee the rookie will see the field right away in the regular season. Cousins didn’t dress Thursday night in Houston and appears set to roll with the first team to begin the season, providing Kubiak with the veteran leadership he’s wanted to run the offense to begin 2026.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
USA TODAY
Tyreek Hill’s NFL return remains on hold, but his agent has a prediction
“I don’t expect Tyreek to sign before the season,” Rosenhaus said when asked about Hill during a Friday, Aug. 21, appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
Rosenhaus’ comments come as Hill continues to recover from a several ligament tears, including an ACL, and a dislocation of his left knee he suffered in Week 4 of the 2025 NFL season. He had to be carted off the field in an air cast because of his injury and faced a long road to recovery, which was part of the reason the Dolphins opted to release him.
“This was a devastating injury, but everyone’s gonna be so impressed when they see how well Tyreek has rehabbed,” Rosenhaus said.
“It’s not hyperbole for me to predict that he will play this season,” he added. “When, I’m not sure. But I do think when he does sign, he will be a coveted player. He’ll be the kind of guy that will impact the playoff race and will certainly be successful once he signs.”
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
The Athletic (paywall)
Patrick Mahomes and Zach Ertz had same surgery — then became each other’s motivator
Ertz, 35, injured himself a week before Mahomes last season while playing for the Washington Commanders. He immediately became emotional on the field, wondering whether that would mark the end of his playing career.
After he decided on surgery — and to pursue a comeback this year — Ertz said Mahomes helped him through the darkest days.
The two trained in different locations but motivated each other through text messages. It started with one of the most trying parts of rehab: the first month, which Ertz describes as “literally laying on a table and just cranking at your knee, trying to get the range of motion back.”
Back-and-forth texts with Mahomes kept his spirits up. How is your rehab going? How are you grinding through it? What did you work on today?
“It’s really just supporting one another,” Ertz said. “Truly happy for the other person’s progress because when you’re rehabbing, no one’s really there.”
Mahomes shared a similar sentiment at the start of this year’s training camp, saying his contact with Ertz was especially helpful through a “long process.”
“You feel like sometimes you’re lonely, because you’re doing stuff by yourself and you’re just competing against yourself,” Mahomes said. “So it gave me someone else I can compete with to push my competitive drive.”
Ertz says his GPS tracking shows his top speed is 99 percent of what it was before surgery last season, and after an offseason of strength training, his force-plate jumps show better force than before he was hurt.
“I still feel like I can make a difference in the league as a player,” said Ertz, who would be entering his 14th pro season. “And so for me, it’s just trying to figure out which situation is the best for me and my family, and determining when that is.”
Ertz said it’s now about waiting for the right opportunity. Things can change quickly with teams during training camp, so for now, he’s in a routine of spending six hours a day with route work, physical therapy and weightlifting to ensure he’s ready to step in when needed.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Discussion topics
The Athletic (paywall)
Who is Jack Pyburn and what would happen if the Buccaneers LB returns to college?
After a strong performance in the preseason opener for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it appeared undrafted rookie linebacker Jack Pyburn was setting himself up for an NFL future. Instead, Pyburn is one of 16 former college football players, some of whom are signed to NFL contracts, who are looking to return to college for the 2026 season.
This unprecedented situation of a player going from the NFL back to the NCAA stems from Louisiana’s 19th Judicial District Court granting a temporary restraining order that could allow more than 30 college athletes a fifth year of eligibility. Pyburn played his first three seasons of college football at the University of Florida before playing a fourth season at LSU in 2025. The TRO would not only allow Pyburn to return to college football, but he would be able to enter the transfer portal, where schools can bid for his services. He would be eligible for the upcoming college football season, which begins in a few weeks.
If Pyburn did attempt to go back to college without the Buccaneers releasing him, Tampa Bay would retain his NFL rights. According to the league’s collective bargaining agreement, “If Player … fails or refuses to perform his services under this contract, then this contract will be tolled between the date of Player’s … failure or refusal to perform, and the later date of his return to professional football.”
That means the three-year contract he signed with the Bucs would effectively pause and resume if and when he returned to the NFL.
Given the nature of a player on an NFL contract returning to college, the TRO does outline that the player may go down that path “so long as they terminate any such contract and repay any money they have received prior to playing in a collegiate game.” That means Pyburn would have to pay back the signing bonus he received from the Bucs and be released from his contract.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
