All summer long, the Washington Commanders' top goal for 2026 has been to keep quarterback Jayden Daniels upright after an injury-plagued sophomore season. Just one game into the campaign, it's clear that the biggest weakness on general manager Adam Peters' roster is the offensive line.
In Washington's season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, Daniels did the best he could. He took only one sack and played all four quarters for the first time since last year's Week 6 tilt against the Chicago Bears. But concerns around the protection in front of him weren't fully alleviated.
Without five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil holding it down on the blindside, the group was sub-optimal. This was especially evident with under-fire center Nick Allegretti, who didn't cover himself in glory after several blown assignments in critical moments.
Commanders' offensive line must improve after shaky Week 1 opening
Washington put itself in a box with the way the center situation unfolded, releasing Tyler Biadasz and then failing to secure Tyler Linderbaum after he got a record-setting deal from the Las Vegas Raiders. That left the Commanders in Week 1 with Allegretti, who missed almost all of training camp with a calf injury.
The team's other linemen aren't world beaters either.
Brandon Coleman was benched for most of last year before returning to left tackle in Tunsil's absence. Chris Paul was a pleasant surprise in 2025, but he's ultimately a below-average starter. Second-year right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. has come along nicely but still has room to grow, especially in terms of physical strength.
Sam Cosmi, now 20 months removed from tearing his ACL in Washington's divisional playoff game against the Detroit Lions, is the lone bright spot. Barring a trade, it's too late this year for the Commanders to make any needle-moving fixes.
Jay Gruden calls Commanders offensive line soft, and he's got a point
Former Washington head coach Jay Gruden agreed.
Gruden appeared on 106.7 The Fan after the Commanders' loss and criticized the offensive line, calling them "soft," among other things. And there's something to be said for it.
"I think they're soft right now... They're not very athletic and they're not very strong, so I don't know, I'm worried about them a little bit. Hopefully they gel a lot better and get to know the positions a little bit better."
While that seems like an unfair criticism, it shows the urgency for Washington's protection to become more cohesive. Even one weak link will be exposed without Tunsil's presence. Daniels cannot afford that, and neither can head coach Dan Quinn.
Otherwise, the stakes will rise quickly for everyone involved.
Washington simply needs to hope for the best and bank on as much internal growth as possible. But opposing defensive lines are putting in the work in the weight room too.
And they will now know precisely how to attack the Commanders' offensive line unless drastic improvements are made.
Time to put up or shut up.
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