The Washington Commanders took a big risk by placing so much confidence in Nick Allegretti this offseason. Benching him in Week 4 against the Indianapolis Colts after a shaky start to the campaign was drastic but necessary.
This rash gamble falls squarely on general manager Adam Peters.
The Commanders didn't need to release starting center Tyler Biadasz. They didn't need to stand pat after striking out on prized free agent Tyler Linderbaum. They didn't need to wait until the sixth round of the NFL Draft to draft a center. And they certainly didn't need to give Allegretti a contract extension in advance.
Commanders' offensive line gamble has blown up in Adam Peters' face
But Peters did them all anyway.
And the early returns have been damning.
Washington started the game in London with Lucas Patrick at center and Matt Gulbin at right guard. The first-year pro went through some inevitable growing pains early before settling down a little later. Protection was poor again, resulting in an injury to veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota and several brutal hits on seventh-round pick Athan Kaliakmanis during his NFL debut.
This is unacceptable. And even though the injuries to left tackle Laremy Tunsil and right guard Sam Cosmi are an excuse, failing to do more to strengthen the offensive line was organizational malpractice.
Peters had confidence in his decisions. Even when Allegretti missed the entire summer with a calf strain, he did nothing. Everything was fine, according to him, but it was anything but.
Everyone could see it. Signing Patrick quickly signaled that Peters was having second thoughts, and the decision to take Allegretti out of the firing line all but admitted Washington's grave error in judgment.
And the Commanders now have Allegretti under contract for one more season, rubbing further salt into the wound.
Commanders' flawed offensive line plan was doomed from the start
When Cosmi returns, hopefully sooner rather than later, Patrick should remain at center. Gulbin will return to being a backup, and Allegretti should stay firmly on the fringes. That might stabilize things, but it doesn't absolve Peters from his questionable offseason decisions.
Just why he thought Allegretti could miraculously become a competent lineman is anyone's guess.
The Illinois product struggled mightily during his first two seasons in Washington. He had an indifferent campaign at left guard in 2024 and was benched two games into the 2025 season after floundering at right guard. Yet Peters thought he was the man to improve things at center.
He was wrong.
And almost every fan saw it coming a mile away.
At last Washington recognized it relatively early. There was no point dragging it out with Allegretti. Everyone knew he was a lost cause, and the fact that the Commander felt comfortable throwing Gulbin into the fire against DeForest Buckner rather than trusting the veteran spoke volumes.
This is on Peters. He misread the situation, and two quarterbacks are now hurt.
It's incompetence and poor personnel evaluation. Sticking with Allegretti also pointed to no real contingency plan after Biadasz's release and missing out on Linderbaum.
And if Peters gets another offseason at the helm, which seems likely, he'll be under immense pressure to make the improvements needed in front of star quarterback Jayden Daniels.
His job will depend on it.
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