Washington Commanders cornerback Mike Sainristil
Washington Commanders cornerback Mike Sainristil | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Frustration around Mike Sainristil was hard to ignore before the Washington Commanders' Week 3 game against the Seattle Seahawks. And those in power made their stance on the underperforming cornerback clear.
Washington pulled off a stunning upset over the defending Super Bowl champions. It was a shocking performance and eventual result, one nobody was brave enough to predict beforehand after the Commanders lost quarterback Jayden Daniels to a dislocated elbow.
It was a morale-boosting showing. But for Sainristil, it showed just how his start is being perceived in the building.
Mike Sainristil is quickly falling out of favor with the Commanders
Sainristil did not start the game. The Commanders rolled with Amik Robertson and either Rasul Douglas or Fabian Moreau on the boundary, with the Michigan product coming in for nickel packages.
He eventually played 38.8 percent of defensive snaps after barely seeing the field in the first half. In fact, it was the lowest snap percentage of Sainristil's professional career by a considerable margin.
If Sainristil had any illusions about how much hard work is ahead, they should be gone now.
And with Trey Amos eligible to return from injured reserve after Washington's international game against the Indianapolis Colts, he could be even further down the pecking order.
Amos hasn't played for the best part of a year due to a fractured fibula and an ankle sprain. The Commanders will take things cautiously with the 2025 second-round pick, but they will also want him back in the lineup as soon as possible.
They need him, but this could make Sainristil a complete non-factor if he cannot raise his consistency beforehand.
Things could get worse for Mike Sainristil when Trey Amos returns
That might be a problem.
Sainristil looked shaky when on the field in Week 3. He gave up a couple of catches and was also called for a penalty. The player's confidence is clearly dwindling, and defensive coordinator Daronte Jones doesn't have the luxury of waiting around on the off-chance he can pick things up.
Douglas played a lot more and a lot better in Week 3. Robertson is the undisputed CB1 after a superb start to the campaign, and that might be the case even when Amos returns. Moreau is serviceable, and Jones trusts him. So the task awaiting Sainristil to get his career back on track cannot be overstated.
It's not what the Commanders or Sainristil had in mind.
They thought Jones' scheme and his ability to bring out more from defensive backs could take his game to new heights. Unfortunately, the same discipline and positional issues remain, and losing a significant number of snaps points to a distinct lack of trust in Sainristil's capabilities.
With the Colts up next, it would be surprising if the Commanders didn't use the same approach. And if Amos is ready to hit the ground running when Washington designates him to return, things could get a lot worse for Sainristil.
The signs were there, too.
Head coach Dan Quinn, general manager Adam Peters, and even Jones challenged Sainristil publicly after his woeful Week 1 display against the Philadelphia Eagles. His flaws were exposed constantly versus the Dallas Cowboys, and that was enough to take him out of the firing line.
A long road back to relevancy awaits Sainristil. But if the Commanders keep playing well while his role is diminished, it will stay that way.
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