The Washington Commanders' gamble at center has come under intense scrutiny this offseason. Even though things have not quite gone according to plan, general manager Adam Peters remains confident that his grand plan will deliver the desired rewards when it counts.
Even so, his assessment of Nick Allegretti may puzzle some fans, especially given his struggles in Washington over the last two seasons.
The Commanders placed almost their entire faith in Allegretti, releasing starting center Tyler Biadasz and giving the Super Bowl winner a contract extension ahead of time. He's got almost no experience as the offensive line anchor, and sustaining a calf strain on the first day of training camp denied him vital reps over the summer to further raise concerns.
Commanders remain confident in Nick Allegretti despite turbulent summer
Yet, the Commanders have done nothing to find a better contingency plan.
And Washington's front-office leader outlined precisely why.
Peters acknowledged that not having Allegretti for training camp wasn't ideal. However, he remains confident and believes the Illinois product is experienced enough to cope effectively with these relatively new demands, even though he is only now getting back into the groove.
But the bit about playing good football in Washington might be a stretch.
"Not having Nick for most of camp was something we had to work through, but we have a ton of confidence in him. And he's played, I think, 3,000-some-odd snaps in this league. And he's played good football for us before.
"He went through the whole offseason, so we're really confident. He's not a guy that needs a ton of reps, especially from a mental standpoint."
Allegretti struggled at left guard during the 2024 campaign, aside from a few promising flashes. He lost the starting job to Brandon Coleman in 2025, but Sam Cosmi's injury saw him slot onto the right-hand side of the interior to begin the season.
It did not go well.
Nick Allegretti must show more to justify Commanders' unwavering faith
The veteran was benched after two games and was barely seen in the lineup after that. However, his performance at center when filling in for Biadasz was all the Commanders needed to see.
With Julian Good-Jones' disastrous preseason resulting in nothing more than a place on the practice squad, the Commanders have installed sixth-round rookie Matt Gulbin as Allegretti's backup. He's got more experience at center, but he is also young and still developing.
Washington could add another center if the right opportunity comes along. But those in power are clearly happy with what they have.
This faith is admirable. But if it all goes wrong, the blame will fall directly on Peters' shoulders.
The Commanders are willing to let things play out, for good or bad. That much is obvious right now.
They trust Allegretti and don't think his absence from training camp will keep him from being productive when competitive games begin. But with the formidable Philadelphia Eagles' defensive tackle tandem of Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter up first, on the road at Lincoln Financial Field, the need to hit the ground running is critical.
Fans are hopeful, but nothing more. This possible problem is only magnified by the loss of five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil to a torn triceps, so another weak link on the protection in front of quarterback Jayden Daniels could have massive ramifications.
That might be Allegretti, but it might not. And this decision will make Peters look like a genius or place him firmly in the firing line.
Hopefully, for the Commanders' sake, it'll be the former.
Their 2026 season depends on it.
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