Chris Paul knew exactly what he signed up for when putting pen to paper on a one-year contract extension with the Washington Commanders in March. It was another bet on himself — one that already appears to be backfiring.
Whether Paul overestimated himself or underrated his competition, he may have miscalculated. The veteran seems to be jostling 2024 third-round Brandon Coleman for the Commanders' starting left guard gig. It's an interesting turn of events, to say the least.
In fairness to Paul, most thought he would be starting after agreeing to return to Washington on a team-friendly pact. That doesn't make his suddenly pressure-packed summer any less ideal, though.
Chris Paul suddenly finds himself in predicament heading into Commanders' training camp
Coming off a breakthrough season, Paul presumably envisioned moonwalking into the role he just proved capable of handling. His efforts garnered league-wide attention after all. Instead, the Tulsa product is battling with Coleman.
No one would blame Paul for being frustrated for essentially having to earn his stripes all over again. He showed enough not to have to worry about job security, or so we thought. Not to mention, we already saw him leapfrog Coleman once; why is this can of worms being reopened?
Coleman reportedly got a good amount of work at LG during the Commanders' organized team activities (OTAs). The club is figuring out where he's best suited after seeing him struggle at left tackle as a rookie. Fair or not, his situation is getting in the way of Paul's.
However, it's worth noting that Coleman got his crack at seizing the top spot on the depth chart, albeit to no avail. He was benched after two games in 2025 in favor of the aforementioned Paul. The latter stepped in and was an upgrade, yet the former is ostensibly receiving something of a mulligan.
While Paul has his warts, specifically in run protection, he's one of the best in the NFL when it comes to keeping the quarterback clean. The 2022 seventh-round selection ranked near the top of the league among interior offensive linemen in ESPN's pass block win rate (95 percent).
From Washington's perspective, though, letting the cream rise to the top makes sense. They aren't committed to Paul beyond the upcoming campaign, so leaving the door open for Coleman can be seen as due diligence.
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