Thursday was a busy day for the league, with on-field drills at the NFL Scouting Combine getting underway and the NFLPA's annual report cards being leaked, despite owners' wishes. But for the Washington Commanders, it was something entirely unrelated that sent shockwaves through the news cycle.
The Commanders decided to release starting center Tyler Biadasz, who had one year left on a three-year, $29.25 million deal he signed over the 2024 offseason. It's puzzling, to say the least.
Unless the season-ending knee injury Biadasz suffered in Week 16 was worse than feared, there doesn't seem to be much of an explanation for his departure. But whatever the motivation behind the move may be, general manager Adam Peters has now made a bed for himself. The Commanders will have to address the center position in free agency or the draft.
Commanders can't afford to enter 2026 with Nick Allegretti as their starting center
Biadasz's release leaves Nick Allegretti as the only player under contract who could feasibly play center, unless Washington has other plans for Brandon Coleman. He started at left guard for Washington in 2024 and was a rotational backup in 2025, starting four games.
Allegretti has generally not played at center for Washington, though he did start the Commanders' regular-season finale at the position after Biadasz was hurt. It's difficult to envision entering a season with him as the presumed starter. Peters is going to have to ensure that doesn't happen.
Attention will turn to free agency as Washington seeksa suitable replacement for Biadasz. There are some big fish in the water: Tyler Linderbaum, Connor McGovern, Ethan Pocic, and Lloyd Cushenberry are all recognizable names set to be available when the legal tampering window opens.
The question is how much Peters is willing to spend, and if Washington is in a position to land any of those players. The Commanders have bigger priorities than the offensive line and need to focus first and foremost on fixing their porous defense, which ranked dead last in the league in yards allowed last season.
The Commanders will gain more than $8 million in cap space with Biadasz's release if it's a post-June 1 designation, adding to the $71.28 million currently available. While other areas on the roster will take priority, there should certainly be some money left to add a quality starting center.
The bottom line is that Peters must find a better solution this summer than Allegretti. He's a backup for a reason, and the value of a trustworthy body for quarterback Jayden Daniels to line up behind cannot be overstated.