Commanders' plan after Laremy Tunsil's injury
The Washington Commanders re-signed Chris Paul this offseason. NFL insiders thought he would have a strong market after making improvements in 2025, but that wasn't the case. And the coaching staff immediately put him in a battle with Brandon Coleman for the starting left guard job.
Coleman was reportedly gaining the upper hand, but five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil's torn triceps changed everything. The TCU product was forced to the edge, leaving Paul free to resume his starting responsibilities on the interior.
This faith has been misplaced so far.
Paul has struggled to generate any positive momentum. His pass protection — a real strength last season — has taken a step back. He's never been the strongest run blocker, and his mental errors are glaring.
The Commanders should have done more after Tunsil's injury. He is the team's best overall player, and losing him was a body blow. Instead, Peters did nothing, still confident Coleman and Paul could pick up the slack in his absence.
Washington's left-hand side of the line is a weak link that opposing defenses are targeting with great success. Couple this with the problems at center, and this already looks like a massive miscalculation from Peters.
Commanders' flawed dynamic at safety
The Commanders had some significant issues on their defensive back end during the 2025 season. But instead of adopting widespread changes, Adam Peters made only slight tweaks to the options at Daronte Jones' disposal.
Nick Cross came in via free agency, and he's been a useful addition. The dynamic aside from that is discouraging, but the Commanders can't do much about it now.
Jeremy Reaves is a high-effort player and a respected locker-room leader. Unfortunately, his play is often inconsistent, but the lack of legitimate safety assets means he will keep getting meaningful reps.
The decision to give Quan Martin a reprieve has backfired. His confidence — or lack thereof — has gone past the point of no return. And for some reason, the Commanders are unwilling to give special-teams phenom Tyler Owens any involvement in the defensive rotation.
And the faith in Will Harris didn't even last the summer.
Percy Butler is a special-teams force and nothing more, but you could say the same for Owens and Reaves. Peters thought a stronger front seven would benefit the secondary, and it hasn't taken long for these cracks to show.
Aside from Cross and Reaves in a reduced role, nobody is safe next offseason. And that should have been the case last time around.
Add us as a preferred source on Google