Ben Sinnott may not have said Kliff Kingsbury’s name, but the Washington Commanders tight end sure sounded like a player relieved to be in a different setup.
That’s the read after Sinnott talked about the variety he’s getting in David Blough’s offense during training camp. The 2024 second-round pick has had a quiet start to his NFL career, appearing in 33 games with just 16 catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns.
A lot of that came down to circumstances, not just production. Zach Ertz was ahead of him, Jayden Daniels leaned on the veteran, and Sinnott spent plenty of snaps doing the dirty work as a blocker instead of being featured as a pass catcher.
Now the picture is changing.
Washington signed former Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo to a three-year deal to fill the Ertz role, and the offense itself has changed with Blough replacing Kliff Kingsbury as coordinator. Kingsbury, who coached Ertz in Arizona, was known for keeping the veteran on the field as long as he was healthy. Washington wanted something different for Daniels, and the result is an offense that feels less rigid and more open to using its tight ends in different ways.
So far, that’s been good news for Sinnott. It’s also been good news for Okonkwo, while John Bates remains in the mix as what the source describes as perhaps the NFL’s best blocking tight end. It’s a crowded group, but also a flexible one.
Sinnott sounded energized when he described the route menu he’s being asked to run.
"So many different variations," Sinnott said, via John Keim of ESPN, in discussing the different route variations. "Today we're lining up at number one, we're running five-step ins, we're running corners, we're running options, we're running flat [routes].
We're just doing everything. It's so much fun.
It's a breath of fresh air for this offense and how it uses tight ends."
That last line is the one that jumps out. Maybe it was just an honest answer about a new scheme.
Maybe it was more than that. Either way, it lands like a quiet jab at how things used to be.
Whatever the intent, there’s clearly a buzz around the coaching change inside the building. Daniels may not have wanted to lose Kingsbury, but for players like Sinnott, the new setup could be a real opportunity.
And Sinnott is expected to be one of Washington’s more versatile offensive pieces in 2026, with the ability to line up as a traditional tight end, in the slot, or even in the backfield as a fullback.
In Other News...
Wes Welker Might Be Shaping A Commanders Breakout Fans Will Notice
Wes Welkers latest stop has put him in a familiar kind of teaching role, and the Commanders are already seeing why it matters. Working with Washingtons tight ends, Welker has brought the perspective of a former elite receiver into a room that can benefit from sharper technique, cleaner routes and a more nuanced understanding of how to create separation. Chig Okonkwo, in particular, has emerged as a player drawing attention from the work, praising Welkers expertise and the new details he is absorbing.
For a Commanders offense looking ahead to the 2026 season, that kind of coaching can carry real weight even before the pads come on. Tight ends often become difference-makers in subtle ways, and Welkers background gives Washington a teacher who understands how to stress defenses from multiple angles. If Okonkwo keeps building on what he is learning now, he could become one of the more noticeable breakouts on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Luke McCaffrey Is Giving Commanders Fans A Reason To Watch Closely
Training camp has given the Commanders at least one young player worth tracking closely in Luke McCaffrey. The 2024 third-round pick arrived in Washington as a converted quarterback, and his early work at wide receiver has started to match the kind of developmental upside the team hoped for when it took him. Former Washington tight end Logan Paulsen pointed to McCaffreys growth as a receiver, returner and blocker, all areas that can help a young player carve out a real job once the pads come on for good.
For a Commanders roster with several young wideouts jockeying for playing time, McCaffrey does not need to be the finished product to matter. He just needs to keep stacking the kind of camp reps that suggest he is more than a curiosity from last summer. If he can keep building on what has shown up early, Washington may have a player who can force his way into a significant role this season rather than merely flashing in passing camp reports. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Still Have One Big Question Around Jayden Daniels
Training camp has opened with Washingtons defense getting the better of the early exchanges, while Jayden Daniels worked through a slow first day before looking sharper on day two. The bigger concern around the rookie quarterback has not been Daniels himself so much as the pieces around him, with Terry McLaurin once again standing out as the one proven target the offense can count on.
Elsewhere in the receiver room, the early returns have not inspired much confidence, and that has only sharpened the conversation about whether Washington needs to add another established pass catcher before the season gets rolling. For a team trying to make life easier on Daniels right away, the next move at wideout may end up being one of the most important storylines of camp. [Read more 🡒]