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Josh Conerly Jr. is turning into a cornerstone tackle for the Commanders
After struggling out of the gate, the rookie has kept improving, thanks in large part to the mentorship of left tackle Laremy
Tunsil.
Seemingly everywhere Tunsil goes, Conerly is two steps behind.
Their bond developed after an intentional effort by Tunsil, who benefited from the guidance of older players after he was drafted in the first round by the Miami Dolphins in 2016. When the Commanders selected Conerly in the first round this April, Tunsil was the first person to call him following General Manager Adam Peters and Coach Dan Quinn. Conerly missed the call — he was busy celebrating — but they connected a few days later.
As of late, the duo has looked like a pair of bookends that can help protect Jayden Daniels when the star quarterback returns next year. The Commanders believe the mentorship Conerly is receiving from Tunsil has been invaluable.
As Conerly has navigated the ups and downs of his first year in the NFL, the guidance of Tunsil, whom he calls “OG,” has been invaluable. And, early on, Tunsil’s “lil’ bro” needed plenty of it. In his first three games, the right tackle faced some of the best pass rushers in the league: the New York Giants’ Brian Burns, Micah Parsons of the Green Bay Packers and the Las Vegas Raiders’ Maxx Crosby. The results weren’t pretty, but the experience helped him develop.
Beyond the mental strides, Conerly has sharpened his hand placement, footwork and communication skills. His progression has been steady.
In the first eight games, Conerly was performing like one of the league’s worst offensive linemen. He surrendered six sacks (most in the NFL), 28 pressures (third most) and a pressure rate of 10 percent (eighth highest).
In the past seven games, Conerly has allowed just one sack, 13 pressures and a pressure rate of 5.6 percent. That’s despite facing top pass rushers such as the Detroit Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson, Nik Bonitto of the Denver Broncos and Burns, as well as the challenging defensive fronts of the Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles.
Conerly also has been supported by those around him. He was able to lean on right guard Sam Cosmi since Cosmi returned from injury in Week 7. To assist Conerly, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury frequently has running backs and tight ends stay in to block. Daniels and backup quarterback Marcus Mariota have bailed him out with their legs.
Conerly knows he’s still early in his development. His goal is to have “no weaknesses,” but getting there will take time.
Johnson thinks the next step for Conerly is getting stronger. That may sound strange to say about someone who is 6-foot-4 and 315 pounds, but there are levels in this league.
Commanders.com
Tress Way named to 2026 Pro Bowl
Way was selected as the starting punter for the NFC. This is Way’s third Pro Bowl selection. [With his prior selection] to the Pro Bowl in 2019 — and [again in] 2022 — Way became the first Washington punter since Matt Turk in 1998 to be selected to the Pro Bowl. Way now joins Turk (1996-98) as the only other punter in franchise history to be selected to three or more Pro Bowls.
Through Week 16, Way has punted 50 times for 2,362 yards, including 25 punts pinned inside the 20-yard line. Way has a net average of 43.8 yards. Way ranks second in the NFC in net punting average and is tied for second in the NFC in punts pinned inside the 20-yard line this season.
Way is the franchise leader in career punt yardage (38,742), punts pinned inside the 20 (321) and net punting average (41.6). He also ranks second in franchise history in total punts (826) trailing only Mike Bragg (896). Way has the second-longest punt ever recorded in franchise history (79 yards) trailing only Sammy Baugh (85 yards).
Commanders.com
Practice notes | Josh Johnson embracing opportunity to be Commanders’ potential Week 17 starter
It’s been seven years since Josh Johnson last started for the Washington Commanders. For Johnson, whose professional career has spanned 18 years across 14 different teams, it doesn’t feel like it was that long ago.
“My kids are the only reason I feel like it was seven years ago,” Johnson said at his locker after Monday’s practice with reporters crowded around him. “One was just being born, and the other was a lot younger. But you know, it goes by fast.”
Johnson’s last start with Washington in 2018 came under similar circumstances. Following Alex Smith’s life-threatening leg injury, both Colt McCoy and Mark Sanchez were tapped to replace him. He signed with the team on Dec. 5 of that year and appeared in a game four days later when Sanchez was benched against the New York Giants. Johnson was announced as the starter the next week and led Washington to a 16-13 victory over Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Commanders have yet to name a starter for Thursday’s game against the Cowboys, but Johnson has gotten “the lion’s share” of the reps, as head coach Dan Quinn put it, and is preparing to start in his first game since 2021. Like every other moment in his career, Johnson wants to make sure he’s prepared for whatever happens this week.
He’s spent the last two days working with receivers and getting extra throws, mostly because he hasn’t worked with them all season.
Heavy.com
Bobby Wagner : Full participant Tuesday
Wagner (knee) was a full participant in Tuesday’s practice. Wagner did not practice Monday, so his upgrade to full participation Tuesday means he is trending toward playing in Thursday’s game against the Cowboys. The veteran middle linebacker has yet to miss a game this season, playing 100 percent of defensive snaps in 14 of 15 games. His continued presence on the field is surely an anchor for the Commanders’ defense, and his trend of game-day participation will likely not stop Sunday.
Riggo’s Rag
Why Commanders fans should be quietly worried about Johnny Newton’s future
Newton was the No. 36 overall pick in 2024, the first of three players the Commanders selected in the second round. He ended up starting 11 games as a rookie after an injury to Jonathan Allen, but Washington signed Javon Kinlaw to fill the hole in free agency instead of trusting the youngster.
It’s been a lose-lose situation for both players.
Kinlaw has underachieved. Newton can’t get on the field. He hasn’t played more than 50 percent of the defensive snaps in any game this year, and in recent weeks, he’s even seen time on special teams.
Even when he has been given chances, the Illinois product has struggled to make an impact. On Saturday against the Philadelphia Eagles, he saw his highest usage all season with 42.9 percent of the defensive snaps. But he may as well have been invisible.
The Commanders will have some tough decisions to make this offseason when it comes to their interior defensive line. They’re probably stuck with Kinlaw, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see general manager Adam Peters move on from Payne after eight seasons. That’s where it would be ideal for a player like Newton to slide into his slot, but he hasn’t shown enough to make you feel comfortable with him as a starter.
Odds are, Newton will be back as a rotational piece in 2026 with one more shot to prove he can cut it in Washington. He was considered the best player available when he was drafted, and the upside as a pass-rusher is there. Perhaps a new defensive coordinator can get something more out of him.
A to Z Sports
The Commanders’ lack of a pass rush is alarming
The Commanders started the season by getting to the quarterback, but injuries threw a wrench in their gameplans. Deatrich Wise went down for the season in the second game, and Dorance Armstrong went down for the season just weeks later. Armstrong was top-5 in the league in pressures and sacks when he went down, and they haven’t been able to pick up the production since.
Against the Eagles, the Commanders had their worst pass-rushing game, and Jalen Hurts had his lowest pressure rate in a game in his career. Hurts was pressured on just four of his 37 dropbacks
The Commanders need to add a pass rusher this offseason, especially with Wise as a free agent, and we don’t know how long Armstrong will be out with his injury.
The Commanders lack fundamentals like tackling
It’s crazy to say that the team still can’t tackle in Week 17 of a season, but that’s the Commanders’ defense. Missed tackles have been an issue all season, but they were back to its worse once again against the Eagles. Players like Jeremy Reaves were going for fumbles instead of tackles against Saquon Barkley, and open-field tackling was a disaster. There’s no discipline or pride in their tackling.
The Commanders need better linebacker play and have to improve at the safety position. There’s a clear lack of talent in the secondary, and they can’t roll out these same safeties next season. There’s a reason why taking Caleb Downs in the top-10 of the draft is a real argument worth having this offseason.
Hopefully, it’ll take just one offseason to fix the Commanders’ defense, which has more issues than I listed. It all starts up front with getting pressure and basic fundamentals that shouldn’t be talked about still at the end of the season. There’s a glaring lack of talent and a skill gap in many positions on the defense that need an overhaul.
The Athletic (paywall)
How NFL Draft can help Lions, Chiefs, other 2024 playoff teams that flopped this season
Washington Commanders (4-11)
The Commanders don’t have enough draft capital right now. They’re without a second- or fourth-round pick and have just two slots in the top 140. So, though it may be tempting for the Commanders to invest what could be a top-10 pick in a pass rusher or wide receiver, the best move might be trying to trade out.
Defensively, the Commanders have to get younger and more explosive, in a few spots. Edge is the obvious area, as Von Miller isn’t going to be able to play until he’s 50. They also have to get better at corner, as the Commanders have been one of the worst coverage units in the NFL pretty much all season. Getting younger at linebacker will be on the list, too.
Offensively, the Commanders have to find more help at receiver for QB Jayden Daniels — an upgrade which really has to happen right now, so trading back could be tricky if Washington is in love with a player such as Carnell Tate or Jordyn Tyson in the top 10. It’ll be an interesting spring for the Commanders, who could be on the phone quite a bit.
Commanders.com
Commanders players make it a December to remember for residents around DMV
Sam Hartman hangs out with kids at Ronald McDonald House
The quarterbacks have been busy in the community! Second-year signal caller Sam Hartman has been involved at D.C.’s Ronald McDonald House all season and wouldn’t pass up a holiday opportunity to spend time with children whose illnesses have required extended stays. Donning a Santa hat, Hartman hung out with kids and parents, passed out toys and did crafts.
“Holidays are about family and community,” Hartman said. “I just felt like it was a good opportunity to show that there are people that care about them, people that are supporting them.”
Deatrich Wise partners with JD Sports for shopping spree
More children from the local Boys & Girls Club were given gifts thanks to an event hosted by defensive end Wise in partnership with JD Sports. Approximately 20 kids came out for the occasion with each getting $250 to spend on clothes and shoes.
“I think stuff like this will just always stay with kids,” Wise said. “My motto is, ‘As you impact and empower people, they go on and do the same for someone else.’ I was once a kid and someone did that for me, and it’s my job to pay it forward. This event I think gave them the opportunity to be seen, to feel like they are loved, to shop for themselves and loved ones, and to just do what they do best — smile and be kids.”
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Breaking Down Dak Prescott and the Cowboys Defense | Film Breakdown | Washington Commanders | NFL
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Pro Football Talk
Giants-Raiders loser takes the lead for the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft
The Giants and Raiders are currently both 2-13, tied for the worst record in the NFL. The loser will drop to 2-14 and have the inside track for the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
Neither team would actually be assured of the first overall pick with a loss on Sunday, as there’s still a chance that the team that loses on Sunday could win its season finale the following week, move back up into a tie for the worst record in the NFL, and then lose the tiebreaker. The tiebreaker is strength of schedule, with the team that faced the weaker schedule picking first. The Giants have a weaker schedule than the Raiders, but the 3-12 Browns have a weaker schedule than either of them and could still get the first overall pick if the Browns, Giants and Raiders all finish 3-14.
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is currently the favorite to go first overall.
Big Blue View
Wanted: Receivers for the NY Giants who can actually catch the ball
Apply at 1925 Giants Drive
A surprising number of people on X think the Giants should stay put if they get the No. 1 pick, trade Jaxson Dart, and draft Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza rather than trading down. You can make the case considering that after winning two of his first three starts Dart hasn’t won another, that the hits he takes and his regular visits to the blue tent portend low longevity, and that his current head coach didn’t even have confidence in him to win Sunday’s game against the Vikings.
Dart has looked really good in a variety of advanced metrics until recently, but football is about scoring points. After a two-week stretch in which the Dart-led Giants hung 34 and 32 points on the Eagles and Broncos, two of the best defensive teams in the league, the Giants have scored 20, 24, 20, 15, 21, and 13 points in Dart’s starts, i.e., 19 points per game. That’s worse than all but five other teams’ season scoring average.
Is it Dart, or is it the weapons he has to work with?
Dart has lost more EPA because of receiver drops than all but a handful of other quarterbacks:
All the Giants’ leading receivers except Robinson have terrible drop rates, even their best receiver, Malik Nabers, who had the same problem as a rookie. Theo Johnson is one of those with a big drop problem, but at least he’s won 63.2% of contested catches. Darius Slayton has had a double-digit drop rate every year of his career except 2019 and 2023, and last season was his only one with better than a 60% contested catch rate.
The Giants have receivers who can get open, but no one even in the top half of the league in actually catching the ball.
The Giants desperately need a receiver who can give them some semblance of what Nacua and Smith-Njigba are giving the Rams and Seahawks – a reliable target to keep the chains moving while also having the potential to be explosive. As much as the Giants need help on defense, I’d like to see them use that first-round draft pick (ideally after trading down a bit – go Silver and Black!) on a wide receiver. If they decide to go defense instead (and haven’t gotten a second first-round pick in a trade-down), I’d be OK if they went wide receiver at the top of Round 2.
Here’s the consensus WR big board at the moment:
Tate hasn’t dropped a pass all season, and he has an astounding 85.7% contested catch rate and overall 82.8% catch rate. Sign me up. Tyson only has one drop but a less impressive (but still OK) 43.8% contested catch rate and 62.9% overall catch rate. I’d take either of them, but Tate over Tyson. Makai Lemon, No.17 on the big board but PFF’s highest ranked receiver, is only 5-11 but has an amazing 66.7% contested catch rate for his size, with two drops, and an overall 73.1% catch rate.
ESPN
Cowboys’ Prescott refuses to sit final 2 games, vows ’26 rebound
As the Dallas Cowboys close out a disappointing 2025 season knowing they will miss the playoffs with two games to play, Dak Prescott has one guarantee.
“We won’t be back here in this spot,” Prescott said Tuesday as the 6-8-1 Cowboys prepare for their game against the Washington Commanders on Christmas.
“Maybe there’s a little bit more that I can do, and it’s not physically or me getting better at my game. Maybe it’s speaking up and saying that this will help or I think this can help. Whatever it takes, once again I’m going to do my damnedest and make sure that I’m influencing and encouraging everybody else around me, not just the players, to do the same.”
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The Athletic (paywall)
John Harbaugh not focused on job security, but the Ravens have decisions to make
It’s come to this: They’ll need to beat the Green Bay Packers Saturday night at Lambeau Field, potentially behind backup quarterback Tyler Huntley, to stave off playoff elimination. But that might be temporary. That’s because even if the Ravens (7-8) win Saturday, they’d be eliminated if the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6) defeat the Cleveland Browns (3-12) the following day.
So either a Ravens loss or a Steelers win this weekend, and the Week 18 rematch at Acrisure Stadium between the two longtime rivals would be void of playoff ramifications.
And the calls for Harbaugh’s job and potentially other organizational changes would only get louder.
[T]his offseason feels like one in which Bisciotti will have a legitimate decision to make. His response will reveal whether he views this year as just a blip in Harbaugh’s tenure or a sign that the organization has plateaued under the longtime head coach and needs a different voice leading the team. It won’t be about whether Harbaugh is a good coach. The organization’s decision-makers believe he’s one of the top coaches and leaders in the NFL. The decision (or lack thereof) will be about whether they believe he’s still the right coach and right leader for the team.
But it’s not been a good year for Harbaugh, either, starting in Week 1 when the Ravens blew a 15-point lead in the final four minutes in Buffalo. They’ve dropped a few games they had no business losing, adding to a string of late collapses under Harbaugh. There have been some curious personnel decisions, like sticking with struggling guards Daniel Faalele and Andrew Vorhees all year, keeping Keaton Mitchell on the bench early in the season, and then not making sure Henry was on the field late in Sunday’s crucial loss to the New England Patriots.
What makes the situation so tricky to project is that it’s solely Bisciotti’s call. That doesn’t mean he won’t seek counsel from DeCosta, executive vice president Ozzie Newsome, team president Sashi Brown and the owner’s very small and private inner circle. But it’s his opinion that matters, and he’s spoken publicly so infrequently that it’s impossible to gauge just how frustrated he’s become. Bisciotti hasn’t done an interview with a group of local reporters in nearly four years.
It was only nine months ago that Bisciotti signed Harbaugh to a three-year contract extension, in addition to the year the Super Bowl XLVII winner already had left on his previous deal. Harbaugh is under contract through the 2028 season, so moving on now would leave Bisciotti absorbing three years of a contract for one of the highest-paid coaches in the league, while also paying the going rate for a new coach.
That’s not insignificant.
it would be unfathomable if some notable changes weren’t made after a season that has played out like this one. Recent Ravens teams have been accused of underachieving in January, failing to get over the playoff hump despite having an MVP quarterback and one of the most talented rosters in the league. This team has underachieved from the jump, despite how hard it’s played and the challenges it’s faced. Running it back with only minor tweaks would be a very hard sell.
The question is how wide-ranging the changes will be and whether they’ll reach the head-coaching level. Really, only Bisciotti knows the answer to that, and it’s quite possible that his decision hasn’t been made yet. After all, the Ravens still controlled their playoff destiny as of five days ago.
ESPN
QB Justin Fields placed on IR with Jets future uncertain
Justin Fields’ first season with the New York Jets — and, quite possibly, his last — is officially over.
The former starting quarterback was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, an ignominious cap to a disappointing season.
Fields, who was benched Nov. 17, has been bothered in recent weeks by what the team called knee “soreness.” He returned to practice last week but told reporters that he still wasn’t healthy enough to play. He was inactive for the past three games.
“Man, we tried to see how we can get this to work, but it wasn’t getting as better as we would like it,” coach Aaron Glenn said. “So, we want to make sure we get a focus on that to make sure we get him better.”
There’s a good chance the Jets will part ways with Fields in the offseason.
The former Chicago Bears first-round pick signed a two-year, $40 million contract in free agency and was named the starter in the offseason, but he fell short of modest expectations.
Glenn declined to comment on whether Fields will need surgery. He also wouldn’t address Fields’ future.
