Quan Martin - Commanders S
There was enormous concern around veteran safety Nick Cross after he suffered an internal injury against the Dallas Cowboys. He spent the night in the hospital after the game and has missed the last two contests. But there are growing signs that he could feature this weekend against the New York Giants.
Jeremy Reaves was also listed as a full participant in practice on Wednesday after suffering a pretty gruesome finger injury in Week 4. If Cross gets the all-clear, this will be the team's starting safety tandem. And this puts Quan Martin's status firmly on the brink.
Martin has gotten plenty of reps on the defensive rotation this season, and not much of it has been especially promising. The 2023 second-round pick just doesn't look like the same player that showed so much promise in his second season, but the Commanders didn't have any alternative but to keep him in the lineup.
With Cross back and Reaves seemingly willing to play through the pain, that could change.
The former Illinois defensive back just hasn't done enough to inspire confidence. Washington has given him countless chances, and Martin has fluffed his lines almost every time.
While there doesn't seem to be much point in the Commanders releasing him during the campaign, Martin should expect his role to diminish significantly for the rest of the season.
Nick Allegretti - Commanders OL
The Commanders made a big statement in Week 4 against the Indianapolis Colts. Those in power benched offensive lineman Nick Allegretti, giving Lucas Patrick reps at center while also throwing sixth-round rookie Matt Gulbin into the fray at right guard.
It did not go well.
Gulbin struggled as expected. He didn't look ready for starting responsibilities, getting blown up constantly and losing ground on the play that injured veteran backup quarterback Marcus Marota.
The Commanders thought the risk was worth it. But with prolific right guard Sam Cosmi set to return this weekend against the Giants, this could be a trend that continues for Allegretti for the remainder of 2026.
This is a disaster, and it brings general manager Adam Peters' woeful roster planning along the offensive line firmly under scrutiny.
Peters threw way too much support behind Allegretti this offseason. Giving him an early contract extension was a head-scratching move then, and even more so now. There was no real plan after releasing Tyler Biadasz and striking out on Tyler Linderbaum, and the Commanders are paying for it.
Cosmi has missed the last two games with a concussion and a throat issue. He should be back for Week 5, and with Patrick playing well at center, Allegretti should be on the fringes until further notice.
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