One of the very few positives for the Washington Commanders this season won't be on the field against the Philadelphia Eagles. But this unfortunate development has given a forgotten draft pick another chance to reshape his narrative.
Five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil is out with an oblique injury. The elite blindside enforcer left last weekend's win against the New York Giants. After returning briefly, he went back to the sidelines, and the Commanders weren't satisfied with how the problem was healing enough to get him involved.
That is a massive blow. But for Brandon Coleman, it's the opportunity at redemption he's been waiting for.
Commanders are confident Brandon Coleman can rise from obscurity amid Laremy Tunsil injury
The versatile lineman came in for Tunsil last weekend and played well. Head coach Dan Quinn confirmed he will start in Week 16, and he's confident the resolve the TCU product has shown since his benching can serve him well in the pressure cooker once again.
"I saw good practice habits. I wasn't surprised that he performed well … It's not always smooth, but it showed a lot about his resilience."Dan Quinn via Commanders.com
Coleman is no stranger to the position. He was the team's starting left tackle as a rookie, doing relatively well under challenging circumstances despite the inevitable growing pains. Getting the chance to acquire someone like Tunsil was too tempting to ignore, which moved the 2024 third-round pick onto the interior along the way.
Something didn't seem right. Coleman was replaced by Chris Paul after just two games. A new report suggests this resulted from an injury affecting his playing strength. And with the former Tulsa standout excelling, he never regained his spot.
Instead of sulking, Coleman was grinding. He got healthy, worked hard on problem areas of his game behind the scenes, and caught the eye when introduced into jumbo packages during game days. It was a brief glimpse in Week 15, but the improvements in his explosiveness and technique couldn't have been more obvious.
Playing to this standard against the Eagles will be more challenging. Philadelphia doesn't have Jalen Carter available, but the likes of Nakobe Dean, Jaelan Phillips, and Nolan Smith Jr. can cause havoc. This is a test Coleman must pass with flying colors if the Commanders want to stand any chance of getting one over on their division rivals.
The Commanders never lost faith in Coleman. They just felt like taking him out of the firing line was the best thing for his development. Based on his efforts against the Giants, they were right. However, this counts for nothing if he cannot do the same at Northwest Stadium this weekend.
Anything less, and it's back to square one.