This season has not gone according to plan for Brandon Coleman. The Washington Commanders took him out of the firing line early on and have seldom seen him since. But according to one team insider, there might be more to this situation than meets the eye.
Coleman went through a transition during the offseason. The Commanders' bold trade for left tackle Laremy Tunsil meant the 2024 third-round pick was switched to the interior. Not ideal, but he did enough over the summer to win the starting left guard job.
That didn't last. Coleman struggled to generate an impact, and he was benched in favor of Chris Paul. The TCU product has been on the fringes, but he got the chance to log starting reps once again when Tunsil got hurt in Week 15 against the New York Giants.
There was reportedly more to the Commanders' benching of Brandon Coleman
Fans were pessimistic, but Coleman held his own. He looked strong, healthy, and ready for the moment. And even though he'll probably go back to a reserve role if Tunsil is healthy in Week 16 against the Philadelphia Eagles, this was a sign that all hope is not lost.
Lynnell Willingham from The Team 980 shed some more light on why Coleman got demoted. Most fans thought this was performance-related, but the pundit revealed, citing sources, that it was due to a lingering injury that was hindering his play strength. And with Paul playing so well, he never got his spot back.
"I was under the impression it was a healthy scratch as well. So after some further conversation, the reason he ultimately got benched is that he was playing through an injury, and they thought he didn't have the play strength to be reliable while playing hurt. They let him get healthy, and unfortunately for him, Chris Paul's just been amazing. But, he's now earned that swing tackle role."Lynnell Willingham
Brandon Coleman played well in relief of Laremy Tunsil today...and apparently, his 'benching' was really letting a nagging injury heal? pic.twitter.com/SyG5Ldwaue
— The Team 980 (@team980) December 14, 2025
It would have been nice if this had been made public knowledge at the time. This would have avoided fans' concerns about Coleman being a possible bust. He regressed, but there were mitigating circumstances attached if Winningham's report is accurate.
What the future holds for Coleman is anyone's guess. The Commanders cannot remove Paul from the equation right now. Still, he's out of contract this offseason. If he doesn't get extended, Washington has a ready-made replacement.
If Paul gets another deal, Coleman will be a swing option capable of playing almost anywhere along the protection. Either way, this latest revelation confirms that it's way too early to be giving up on the lineman entirely.