NFL: Washington Commanders at Detroit Lions
Aug 22, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) throws passes during pregame warmups before their preseason game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
The Washington Commanders and Baltimore Ravens took part in a joint practice on Wednesday and there was a horrifying review of Washington’s offensive line, which is troubling for quarterback Jayden Daniels.
The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala provided the review of Washington’s group upfront, and she described the offensive line as “inoperable.”
And, no surprise, the performance greatly impacted the offense overall.
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“This is the worst I’ve ever seen the Commanders’ offense in years. Inoperable offensive line,” Jhabvala reported.
The Commanders’ offensive line took a massive hit recently after the injury to left tackle Laremy Tunsil, who was the group’s best player.
Tunsil suffered a torn triceps, head coach Dan Quinn revealed, and is expected to miss a significant amount of time.
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Now, Brandon Coleman, who wasn’t even guaranteed to start and was in a competition at left guard with Chris Paul, is going to take Tunsil’s place.
Left tackle isn’t the only concern Washington has upfront, though.
Nick Allegretti is slated to start at center after the team surprisingly cut Tyler Biadasz loose earlier this offseason.
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The problem there is Allegretti has very little experience at the position.
The concern for Jayden Daniels
NFL: Washington Commanders at Detroit Lions
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) throws passes during pregame warmups before their preseason game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
This is concerning, to say the least, and for multiple reasons.
Daniels had issues staying healthy last season behind a suspect offensive line and he can ill-afford to take punishment once again in 2027.
If he does, we could have a repeat of last season, when Daniels’ injury issues completely wrecked Washington’s season.
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Even if Daniels can avoid injury, constant pressure will no doubt impact his confidence and ability to hang in the pocket and throw the football.
Another issue is the run-blocking is not going to be up to snuff.
Not being able to run the football is going to put much more pressure on Daniels’ shoulders and will make it more difficult to move the ball through the air.
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The Commanders are no doubt going to explore their options between now and the start of the season, and especially after teams cut their rosters down to 53 on Sunday.
But anyone Washington adds isn’t likely to be any better than what the team has currently.