The Washington Commanders haven't taken long to cast Nick Allegretti back to the fringes. Head coach Dan Quinn confirmed that Lucas Patrick will start at center moving forward, and with right guard Sam Cosmi's return, the Illinois product goes to the bench.
Though nobody is complaining, questions remain about why the Commanders placed so much faith in Allegretti before the campaign.
General manager Adam Peters stood by his belief. He released previous starter Tyler Biadasz, and after striking out on free-agent target Tyler Linderbaum, the Commanders threw their weight behind Allegretti with no real contingency plan.
Commanders' center plan relied way too heavily on Nick Allegretti
They even gave him a new deal early. Based on his production over two years, that was puzzling. But Peters believed he had outsmarted everyone.
Even when Allegretti missed all of training camp after suffering a calf strain on the first day, Peters did nothing. He thought that once the Super Bowl winner was healthy, everything would proceed as planned, and he would look like a genius.
That didn't go well.
Allegretti floundered in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles, prompting the Commanders to sign Patrick. Another underwhelming game followed, and when Cosmi got hurt, the new arrival became the offensive line's anchor while the incumbent went to right guard.
Improvements didn't arrive, and the Commanders' decision to trust rookie sixth-round pick Matt Gulbin over Allegretti in Week 4 versus the Indianapolis Colts spoke volumes.
He only has himself to blame. But this is another situation that hasn't painted Peters in the greatest light.
Commanders must prioritize center in 2027 to protect Jayden Daniels
Peters put too much confidence in Allegretti, based on one game at center late in the 2025 campaign. There was no real plan after releasing Biadasz and missing on Linderbaum, which is malpractice given how important quarterback Jayden Daniels' health is to this franchise's future.
And in all honesty, almost every fan saw this coming a mile away.
Allegretti is a serviceable backup. He is not a capable starter, so for the Commanders to give him a free run at the starting job this offseason is a roster failure of epic proportions.
The worst part? Allegretti is under contract through 2027, and it would cost $4.11 million in dead money to release him.
That could have been avoided, but Peters thought otherwise.
It's a mess. The Commanders will roll with Patrick the rest of the way. He's made things more stable, but the center position has to be among Washington's most pressing priorities when the 2027 offseason arrives.
Nothing else will suffice. Not after Peters' suspect gamble on Allegretti blew up in his face so quickly.
Peters won't get every decision right. He did a decent job of strengthening the defense during the offseason. But his center strategy was neglectful and ill-advised.
There were also warning signs. Peters ignored them, and by the time he figured it out, Patrick was arguably the only viable option left.
The Commanders gave Allegretti a shot, and not for the first time, he didn't take it.
That leaves them in a hole they created through miscalculation and no real urgency whatsoever.
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