Perceptions of the 2026 Washington Commanders have changed a lot over the last month. Heading into training camp, the Commanders were a team of mystery, but many believed they could still compete for a playoff spot in 2026 if they could keep quarterback Jayden Daniels healthy.
Optimism grew when Washington signed four-time Pro Bowl wideout Stefon Diggs, giving Daniels another top-tier weapon, while also making life a bit easier for star receiver Terry McLaurin. But the day after Diggs competed in his first Commanders’ practice, left tackle Laremy Tunsil tore his triceps. It was a devastating injury for many reasons. Tunsil is one of the NFL’s best players, and he was critical in protecting Daniels.
Washington’s solution was to move Brandon Coleman
back to left tackle to replace Tunsil. It’s a good plan, considering Coleman played left tackle in 2024. While he’s no Tunsil, Coleman is better than multiple left tackles in the NFL. The only problem is that it took Coleman away from the left guard competition, which he was expected to win.
Making matters worse, new center Nick Allegretti missed almost all of training camp. The veteran offensive lineman moved to center this offseason to replace Tyler Biadasz. While the Commanders are confident in Allegretti, those on the outside don’t believe Washington did enough at center. All summer long, journeyman Julian Good-Jones and rookie sixth-round pick Matt Gulbin — who have a combined two career NFL snaps — took turns at center. They struggled; Good-Jones was cut and is now on the practice squad, while Gulbin is one snap away from replacing Allegretti.
As a result, several analysts have predicted that Washington will finish last in the NFC East.
While the offensive line remains a concern, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer highlights something else to watch early this season.
It’s really rare that a veteran coach such as Dan Quinn goes through the sort of on-the-fly wholesale philosophical change that the Commandersdid this offseason, and there’s no question it’s just different with more complex schemes coming in with new coordinators David Blough and Daronte Jones. Now the trick will be fitting some of the old standbys into the new way of doing things, and all eyes are going to be on quarterback Jayden Daniels in that regard. Losing Laremy Tunsil in camp—he won’t be back until at least January, and even that may be a longshot)—is a tough blow, and only underlines how his adjustment to Blough’s scheme has to chart the course back to the playoffs.
Part of the uncertainty surrounding the Commanders is that no one knows what to expect from David Blough and Daronte Jones. Sure, they have an idea of what type of schemes they’ll run, but how will it look once the games count? Will there be a steep learning curve? Remember, the Commanders have a brutal stretch to open the season.
Can head coach Dan Quinn afford a slow start? His coordinators will get some grace, but will that extend to Quinn? That's certainly something to watch early this season, particularly in the first two games against familiar NFC East foes.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders face more questions than offensive line ahead of 2026 season
