The Cowboys’ NFC East outlook may have just gotten a little cleaner, and the timing matters.
Washington took a major hit over the weekend when five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil suffered a torn triceps, according to Mike Garafolo and Steve Wyche of NFL Network. The Commanders are expected to be without him for at least a significant portion of the regular season.
That’s a brutal loss for Washington and a pretty obvious boost for Dallas, which faces the Commanders in Weeks 2 and 18. If the Cowboys are trying to build an edge in the division race, those matchups suddenly look a lot more favorable.
Tunsil’s absence leaves Jayden Daniels without his blindside protector, and that’s not a small thing. Brandon Coleman or Andrew Wylie could take over at left tackle, but the Commanders are now staring at a season where Daniels may have to operate without one of the best pieces of his protection plan.
The report doesn’t put a firm timeline on Tunsil’s return, but “significant portion” of the season could easily mean more than half the year. That would be a massive challenge for Washington, especially with Daniels coming off an injury-riddled season of his own.
The Commanders needed stability up front. Instead, their passing game now looks like it will be fighting uphill.
Dallas already had reasons to feel good about its path, but this injury makes the picture even clearer. The Cowboys can open the season 2-0 if they handle the Giants and then take advantage of a Tunsil-less Commanders team. And while the Eagles remain the biggest obstacle in the division, Washington no longer looks like the same kind of threat it did before this injury.
There’s still plenty to watch on defense. Fans are already high on defensive coordinator Christian Parker, Caleb Downs looks like the real deal, and Malachi Lawrence is being talked about as a sleeper for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Add in a full season of Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark, and there’s no shortage of reasons to believe this unit can make life miserable for offensive lines.
For Washington, though, this is a gut punch. For Dallas, it’s one more reason the road to the NFC East title in 2026 may have just opened up a little wider.
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