The Washington Commanders spent much of the offseason trying to sell a center plan that didn’t last long. Tyler Biadasz was gone, Nick Allegretti was presented as the answer, and then the injury bug started chewing through the middle of the line. By the time the dust settled, Lucas Patrick was the one left standing.
Patrick is now set to start at center for Washington on Sunday against the New York Giants, the same team that cut him loose during roster reductions on August 30. He’ll be snapping to Jayden Daniels, and that alone makes this a notable turn for a player who was on the market not long ago.
Washington signed Patrick on September 16, and 11 days later he was already making his first start at center against Seattle. That came after Allegretti moved to right guard to cover for the injured Sam Cosmi. Last week in London, rookie Matt Gulbin handled right guard after Allegretti was unavailable again.
Patrick’s path to this point has been a winding one. He spent time with the Giants during their offseason program and training camp after signing with them on April 6, then was released on August 30.
Before that, he had stops in Green Bay, Chicago, New Orleans, and Cincinnati. He entered the 2026 season with 113 games played and 65 starts, including 28 at center, 19 at left guard, and 18 at right guard.
What Patrick has done in Washington goes beyond simply plugging a leak. Pro Football Focus has him at 129 snaps at center, with just two pressures allowed, no sacks, and no penalties.
His 65.9 overall grade ranks 11th among 33 qualifying centers. For a player Washington picked up less than a month ago, that’s a solid return.
On Friday, Quinn confirmed that Patrick is the team’s starting center, which makes this more than a temporary fix while Allegretti works back. Cosmi is also back this week, so Washington gets its starting right guard back too, but Patrick’s role isn’t changing.
There’s one more wrinkle here: Patrick’s two starts came with Marcus Mariota and Athan Kaliakmanis at quarterback. Sunday will be his first regular-season game working with Daniels. With Daniels coming off an elbow injury and Washington trying to get the offense pointed in the right direction, keeping the middle of the line steady matters.
The Giants decided Patrick wasn’t part of their plans at the end of August. A little more than a month later, Washington is handing him one of the most important jobs on the offense against the same team that moved on from him.
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That creates an opening the Commanders can still chase if they start stacking wins and the rest of the division keeps stumbling. Washington does not need the NFC East to look pretty, just competitive enough to stay in reach while the standings remain unsettled. The next stretch matters because a couple of good results could quickly change the tone around a season that already feels much more fragile than it did a few weeks ago. [Read more 🡒]
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For the Commanders, the bigger point is that this was a decision they already made with an eye on the future. Washington chose not to bring Miller back and instead leaned into a younger approach, a path that has fit the defense better under its current coordinator. With the unit showing signs of improvement, the organizations choice to move on from an aging pass rusher looks a lot less cautious now and a lot more practical. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Season Turning Point Puts Brandon Coleman In A Brutal Spotlight
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Brandon Coleman, though, is one of the players who will be watched closest. He has been asked to handle a major role up front at a time when the margin for error is shrinking, and this matchup is the kind that can expose every weak spot along the line. For Washington, it is less about style points than survival, and Colemans performance could end up shaping how secure the team feels heading into the rest of the division race. [Read more 🡒]