The Washington Commanders finalized their first 53-man roster of 2026 on Sunday. It’s always important to stress that this is an initial 53-man roster, as it will change frequently, and likely on Monday. Washington is No. 7 in waiver priority and could look to add offensive line or cornerback help.
Here are five takeaways from the Commanders’ initial 53-man roster.
Only 3 cornerbacks
The most shocking part of Washington’s initial 53-man roster was that it only kept three cornerbacks. A questionable position is now even more worrisome. Of course, the primary news centered around second-year cornerback Trey Amos beginning the season on the reserve/injured list. Amos fractured his fibula in Week 10 last season. He missed the start of training camp, only to return and
injure his ankle. He hasn’t been back at practice and will not be ready for Week 1. Amos was expected to be one of Washington’s primary corners. In addition to moving Amos to IR, the Commanders also released Fabian Moreau. This move appears to be more procedural and Washington will bring Amos back once Laremy Tunsil and Johnny Newton are moved to IR.
The Commanders will again have four cornerbacks when Moreau returns. Is that enough? Expect GM Adam Peters to carry multiple corners on the practice squad, and he could also bring in one via waivers. Washington is putting a lot of pressure on Mike Sainristil and Amik Robertson.
Center drama
Two centers made the 53-man roster: Nick Allegretti and rookie Matt Gulbin. Washington cut Julian Good-Jones after giving him the majority of practice reps in training camp. Head coach Dan Quinn and Peters have mishandled this position since they cut Tyler Biadasz. This isn’t even about Allegretti’s injury concerns. We don’t know if he can even play center consistently at the NFL level. Multiple centers were traded on Sunday, while Peters stayed pat. Is he really banking on Allegretti staying healthy for 17 games? Let’s get this straight: Peters is counting on a veteran guard who missed almost all of training camp to stay healthy for a full season and play a position where he has less than 200 career NFL snaps. And his backup plan is a sixth-round rookie who struggled in the preseason and in a joint practice with the Ravens.
He better have a plan. Right now, Washington fans aren’t so sure he does.
Commanders go with 3 QBs
Rookie seventh-round pick Athan Kaliakmanis had a terrific summer. He played well in the preseason and was one of the bright spots in an otherwise disappointing preseason. Still, there were questions about whether the Commanders would go with two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster and try to re-sign Kaliakmanis to the practice squad. Peters wasn’t taking that chance. It made sense to keep three quarterbacks, given that Jayden Daniels missed 10 games last season and Marcus Mariota is currently dealing with a knee injury. Washington likes Kaliakmanis as a potential long-term backup to Daniels and didn’t want to expose him to waivers. If the Commanders get in a roster crunch, could they try to get Kaliakmanis to the practice squad? Maybe, but it’s risky, especially with quarterbacks because only one team needs to be interested.
10 offensive linemen
Most teams stick with eight or nine offensive linemen. However, Washington has some issues with Laremy Tunsil out for a while and Allegretti still battling a calf injury. The Commanders cut Good-Jones and Trent Scott, but kept undrafted rookie guard Tanoa Togiai. Washington likes Togiai, but like some of the other younger linemen, he had his share of struggles in camp. He felt like a prime candidate for the practice squad. Once waiver claims are processed, the Commanders could waive Togiai and then re-sign him to the practice squad. Even with depth concerns on the line, it still feels unlikely that Washington keeps nine offensive linemen in Week 1. It depends a lot on who is available.
7 wide receivers
After the Commanders signed Stefon Diggs, it became pretty clear that they liked their wide receivers. Unlike last year, when they essentially had to bring in guys off the street to catch passes, Washington had eight players they felt comfortable with. The final spot apparently came down to Van Jefferson and Luke McCaffrey. McCaffrey won out, partially due to his ability to return kicks. He averaged 30 yards per return last season. He’s also one of Peters’ former draft picks and is several years younger than Jefferson. Could there still be movement here once Washington makes more moves? Certainly. But this is a strong group and one injury shouldn’t derail the entire position group. Wide receiver is in a much better spot for Jayden Daniels than it was last year. But offensive line concerns could outweigh everything.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: 5 takeaways from Commanders' initial 53-man roster: Offensive line concerns remain
