During Saturday’s practice session, the Washington Commanders suffered a significant setback when standout left tackle Laremy Tunsil tore his triceps. According to ESPN, the injury necessitates surgery and is expected to sideline him for the majority, if not the entirety, of the 2026 campaign.
The injury occurred during one-on-one drills as Tunsil tried to block a bull rush from newly signed free agent Odafe Oweh. This comes only five months after Washington finalized a two-year, $60.2 million extension with Tunsil, making him the first $30 million-a-year offensive lineman in NFL history and resetting the financial landscape for left tackles. This transaction represented the second time during his professional career that Tunsil achieved the status of the league’s highest-paid player at his position.
After arriving in Washington prior to last season via a trade with the Houston Texans, Tunsil went on to start 14 contests for the Commanders in 2025. Footage of the moment Tunsil was injured quickly spread across social media networks. Although the video does not provide a perfectly clear angle of the incident, it captures Tunsil dropping to one knee and clutching his arm immediately following the play:
Having celebrated his 32nd birthday just last Sunday, Tunsil has established a reputation as one of the premier left tackles in professional football. Originally selected 13th overall by the Miami Dolphins, he has earned five Pro Bowl selections throughout his decade-long career and serves as the primary protector for quarterback Jayden Daniels. In 2025, Pro Football Focus graded Tunsil as the league’s sixth-ranked offensive tackle, a season in which he surrendered a mere two sacks and 15 total pressures.
This update presents a major obstacle for a Washington franchise whose previous campaign in 2025 was completely disrupted by health issues. Following an impressive 12-5 showing in 2024 that culminated in an NFC Championship berth, the Commanders plummeted to a 5-12 record as numerous crucial contributors ended up on the injury report. On offense specifically, Daniels sat out 10 matchups due to various physical setbacks, such as a dislocated elbow; star receiver Terry McLaurin endured the least productive season of his career while sidelined for seven games with a quadriceps issue; and running back Austin Ekeler suffered a season-ending Achilles tear in the second week of play.
Where do they go from here?
To fill the void left by Tunsil, Washington is expected to evaluate internal candidates, with a few realistic possibilities already on the roster.
The first option is Brandon Coleman, a 2024 third-round selection from TCU who initiated his professional tenure protecting the blind side for the Commanders. Though Washington reached the NFC title game with Coleman starting at left tackle, he shifted inside to left guard last season following Tunsil’s arrival. While Coleman lost his starting role to Chris Paul in Week 3, he eventually returned to the left tackle position late in the year when Tunsil was sidelined. Throughout the current training camp, Coleman has been competing with Paul for the starting left guard vacancy.
Alternatively, Andrew Wylie is considered the front-runner to take over the role, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Wylie, now in his fourth year with Washington, previously played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2017 to 2022. During his time protecting Patrick Mahomes, he started matchups at left guard, right guard, and right tackle, earning two Super Bowl rings in the process.
Despite his extensive background, Wylie has yet to start a game at left tackle during his career. He served as the Commanders’ primary right tackle throughout 2023 and 2024 before relinquishing the position to 2025 first-round pick Josh Conerly Jr. Following that change, Wylie transitioned to right guard, appearing in 16 contests and earning five starts.
Although the development of Coleman and the versatility of Wylie make them the primary candidates, Washington could also explore the remaining free-agent pool. The top available players at this stage of the offseason are veterans Taylor Decker and Cam Robinson.
Decker asked to be released by the Detroit Lions earlier this year when contract talks stalled. Boasting 140 career starts, the former Pro Bowl tackle remains an intriguing unsigned player. Questions persist regarding his willingness to play elsewhere, his current conditioning level, and whether he is actively seeking a new team. Notably, Washington’s newly appointed offensive coordinator, David Blough, has a pre-existing connection with Decker from their shared time together in Detroit when Blough was a backup signal-caller.
Robinson, meanwhile, split his time last year between Houston and Cleveland, joining the Browns via trade after four weeks. He went on to start 12 of the 13 contests he played for Cleveland, bringing his career total to 114 starts across four different teams. He originally entered the league as a second-round pick (34th overall) by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2017.
