It hasn’t been a fun few months for Washington Commanders offensive lineman Nick Allegretti. The year started off on a good note when Allegretti signed a new two-year deal in March and was expected to become Washington’s starting center in 2026 after the Commanders surprisingly released Tyler Biadasz.
It was a curious move to cut Biadasz. It’s not that he was great last season, but many believed the Commanders only cut him to sign former Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum in free agency. That plan backfired when the Raiders blew Linderbaum out of the water with a massive offer. Instead of looking elsewhere for an experienced center, Washington turned to Allegretti, who had mostly played guard throughout his NFL career.
Allegretti was excited for the
opportunity. He had played some center in college at Illinois and had always felt it was the position where he was most comfortable. Every chance they got, Washington general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn praised Allegretti. Fans were concerned, especially considering the Commanders were going with a new offense, and quarterback Jayden Daniels would be under center more. But Peters and Quinn were insistent that Allegretti would ease those concerns.
Then, at the beginning of training camp, Allegretti suffered a calf injury. Washington’s plan backfired. Not only was there a question of whether Allegretti could be a quality starting center, but what was Peters' backup plan if Allegretti was either injured or ineffective?
The answers were journeyman Julian Good-Jones and rookie sixth-round pick Matt Gulbin. The results weren’t pretty. Fans and media took turns saying, “I told you so.”
The Commanders’ response: “Relax, we’ll be fine when Nick is back.”
Allegretti was back for Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles. He struggled. Those struggles continued in Week 2. In Week 3, after the Commanders signed veteran center/guard Lucas Patrick, they moved Allegretti to right guard to replace Sam Cosmi, who was out with a concussion. Patrick took over at center.
After that week, Quinn confirmed Patrick was now the starting center. Allegretti was back on the bench. Then, last week, when Patrick was injured, Washington turned to Gulbin—not Allegretti. It didn’t make sense. After the game, Quinn said it was because Allegretti had been taking practice reps at guard.
On Tuesday, Quinn confirmed Patrick was in concussion protocol, andAllegretti would start Thursday’s game against the New York Giants.
“Yes, Nick will be starting at center,” Quinn said. “He was working mostly at guard some, the last couple [weeks], been banged up some, and so with the full week of prep, Nick will be back at center.”
Allegretti also spoke to reporters in the locker room on Tuesday and acknowledged how difficult the last couple of months have been for him, between injuries and being in and out of the lineup.
“I think pretty well,” Allegretti responded when asked how he’s mentally handled all the changes and uncertainty. "I’ve worked with some mental health coaches on that, just cause it’s a tough process. You know, handling some injuries and being in and out of the lineup. For a long time in my career, I kind of just kept all of that to myself. Working through that these last couple of years has helped me a ton. I think it’s helped me day to day. Just to truly enjoy being here, being in the locker room, regardless of what my role is. Taking that role seriously, and now I have another opportunity to be in the role I obviously truly want, and I’m excited for it."
Why is Allegretti so open about having a mental health coach?
“Just because of how much it helped me,” Allegretti said. “It’s one of those things that you — as men, we’re just lulled into this, ‘Don’t talk about it. Handle your things yourself.’ I tried for a long time, and I got to a point where it was too much for me. And I’ll say probably one of the reasons that I handle the day-to-day here well when I’m not playing is just all the people that were here for me. Helped me get the help that I needed. Not just in the locker room, but some coaching and staff members really went out of their way to make sure I was right. It’s a process; I’m still working weekly with that."
This was powerful stuff from Allegretti. He didn’t mention it, but there is also the cold, cruel, soulless world of social media. Where “fans” insult players they’ve never met over a game. They say things they’d never say to that player. Over a game. When Allegretti missed a block, those same “fans” would make it personal. Allegretti may or may not have seen or read those things. Hopefully, he didn’t.
I’ve stated more than once that Washington set Allegretti up for failure, even if it wasn’t on purpose. I don’t think Peters or Quinn were purposely putting outrageous expectations on Allegretti. They believed in him. And even if they had concerns, they couldn’t acknowledge those concerns.
And an injury in training camp didn’t help. He missed valuable reps and was still working his way back when he was sidelined. But kudos to everyone in the Commanders’ organization for looking after Allegretti. In the end, those are the things that matter most.
Allegretti is brave. There aren’t many athletes who would stand up there and talk so freely about mental health. He did. And he likely made some new fans. It’s sometimes easy to forget that these men and women we see on TV playing college or pro sports are human beings, too. They battle with mental health issues, whether it’s personal or related to their chosen sport. They’re unfairly ridiculed on social media.
Allegretti doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone. He’s an eight-year NFL pro. He’s a three-time Super Bowl champion who has appeared in 115 career games with 37 starts. Not bad for a former seventh-round pick.
Here’s hoping Allegretti crushes it on Thursday night.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders' offensive lineman reveals mental health struggles
