The Washington Commanders are walking into Week 1 with plenty to prove, and the setup could hardly be tougher. A divisional trip to face the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field is a rough way to start the 2026 season, especially for a team that isn’t carrying much outside belief. Still, there’s a quiet sense around Dan Quinn’s group that they can make some noise if they execute cleanly and don’t let the moment swallow them.
Quinn said the Commanders are as healthy as they can be, with left tackle Laremy Tunsil and defensive lineman Johnny Newton the long-term absences. Even with that caveat, Washington has a chance to change the conversation early if it can leave Philadelphia with a result nobody is expecting.
That’s the hope, anyway. Last season ended with the Commanders looking flat, out of playoff contention, and stuck in a stretch where the football had gone stale on both sides.
Quinn’s offseason changes were aimed squarely at fixing that, and the summer brought a sharper edge and more urgency. Fans, more than anything, want to see a better product.
The Eagles, meanwhile, aren’t exactly standing still. They’ve got a new offense in place, and A.J.
Brown is gone to the New England Patriots. That opens the door to some early adjustment pains, but Philadelphia’s defense still looks loaded, with Vic Fangio steering a unit full of Pro Bowl-caliber talent.
If Washington isn’t ready, that group can expose it in a hurry.
One area worth watching closely is the kicking game, where undrafted rookie Drew Stevens is set for a brutal first test. If he could have picked the location for his NFL regular-season debut, Lincoln Financial Field probably would not have made the shortlist. The stage is huge, the crowd will be loud, and the pressure will be immediate.
Stevens did handle big moments at Iowa, and his outdoor kicking track record gives Washington reason to trust him. He also won the job this summer by beating out veteran Jake Moody, with Stevens’ leg strength and accuracy eventually separating him from the Ohio State product, who was released.
Now comes the harder part: proving he can be the long-term answer. The Commanders are going to have to lean on the rookie, and that means living with the nerves that come with a first NFL appearance in a hostile building.
If he keeps the ball going through the uprights, Washington’s chances get a whole lot better. If not, the noise in Philadelphia could turn ugly fast.
In Other News...
Commanders Injury Report Brings Relief Before Week 1 But One Detail Matters
The first official injury report of the season gave the Commanders a noticeably healthier look than they had two weeks ago, a welcome development as Week 1 approaches. Odafe Oweh, Bill Croskey-Merritt and KLavon Chaisson were back in limited practice, while Nick Allegretti, Jordan Magee, Marcus Mariota, Charles Omenihu and Ben Sinnott were listed as full participants, a sign that the roster is moving in the right direction after an early stretch of health concerns.
Dan Quinn still had one important caveat, though, and it speaks to how early this part of the calendar remains. Everyone was out there in some form, but not everyone is working at the same intensity or for the same length of time, which means the report offers encouragement without fully answering how ready the group is for opening week. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Suddenly Have A Left Tackle Problem They Can't Ignore
The Commanders moved quickly to release D.J. Humphries shortly before their season opener, but the timing of the decision only sharpened an already uncomfortable problem up front. With Laremy Tunsil dealing with a torn triceps injury, Washington is expected to turn to third-round pick Brandon Coleman at left tackle, a spot that suddenly looks a lot less secure than it did when camp opened.
What makes the situation even more urgent is the lack of a clear answer behind Coleman. Washington has not made a corresponding roster move to replace Humphries, leaving the depth chart thin at one of the most important positions on the field. For a team trying to get through the early part of the season without its top option at left tackle, the margin for error is looking awfully small. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Still Have One Painfully Obvious Gap Heading Into Eagles Opener
The Commanders head into their 2026 opener in Philadelphia with a backfield that looks built more for sharing work than for carrying a game on its own. Washington is expected to lean on a running-back-by-committee approach, with Wild Bill, Rachaad White and rookie Kaytron Allen all in the mix as the team tries to find a rhythm before facing the defending Eagles on the road.
Even with that group in place, the position still stands out as the most obvious place for an upgrade if Washington wants more punch offensively. Saquon Barkley looms over that conversation as the kind of back who could instantly change what this offense looks like, which only sharpens the contrast between what the Commanders have now and what they may still be missing. [Read more 🡒]