Dan Quinn shuts door on obvious Commanders response to Laremy Tunsil blow

The Washington Commanders are moving forward with Brandon Coleman at left tackle after the devastating injury to Laremy Tunsil. And according to head coach Dan Quinn, that's the way it's going to stay.

Speculation quickly rose about the possibility of outside help coming into the franchise after Tunsil's torn triceps now requires surgery. Taylor Decker, a decade-long starter with the Detroit Lions who remains on the market, was a popular name on the rumor mill. Quinn shut this down, claiming no conversations have taken place around a new signing coming on board.

For now, at least.

"Not today. That's not something we discussed."

Plans can change quickly, of course. But for now, the Commanders will give Coleman every chance to cement his place on the blindside until Tunsil is ready to return.

Commanders are not considering outside help after cruel Laremy Tunsil setback

There's a lot of merit to that.

Coleman played left tackle as a rookie, showing some encouraging signs. While things didn't go well when he kicked inside last season, the 2024 third-round pick was dealing with an injury. Now that he's fully healthy, the improvements this summer have been notable.

But is it enough?

Tunsil is one of those rare players. His influence on and off the field cannot be fully replaced. He is too good for that, but the Commanders clearly believe Coleman can man the position effectively. And they've got a few weeks to get him fully up to speed.

It's a constant evaluation for general manager Adam Peters. He'll be watching Coleman's progress closely. There is optimism, but the front-office leader won't hesitate to make changes if he thinks they are necessary. And the Commanders have enough salary-cap space to keep nothing off the table.

Not having Tunsil to lean on is a body blow.

He's an elite blindside presence and has been since the moment he was drafted No. 13 overall in 2016. Tunsil's exceptional pass protection and crushing run blocking will be sorely missed. His overlooked leadership is another integral part of his influence, so the Commanders' chance of bouncing back this season has undoubtedly taken a hit.

Coleman will get the first audition. What comes next is up to him.

The TCU product has some useful athleticism and has improved his play strength. Coleman should be suited to the outside zone blocking concepts being installed by offensive coordinator David Blough, though his recovery skills must improve drastically before his first daunting challenge in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles arrives.

If the Commanders aren't satisfied with the way things are unfolding, that's when more drastic measures will be considered. But for now, Quinn wants to see if Coleman is up to the challenge.

For Washington's sake, he better be right. Because the ramifications will be severe if Quinn gets this wrong.

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