The Washington Commanders are taking a hit in the latest NFL power rankings, and the timing is ugly. NFL.com’s Nick Shook slotted Washington at No. 29 ahead of the first week of preseason games, a reflection of just how many questions are hanging over this roster after a wild offseason and a fresh injury blow up front.
This has been a busy, uneasy summer in Washington. The Commanders have dealt with coaching staff changes, Adam Peters’ push to get the defense younger and faster, offensive line injuries, and the arrival of Stefon Diggs. Even with that shakeup, the biggest concern keeps circling back to the same place: how much help Jayden Daniels really has around him.
Shook pointed to that uncertainty in his ranking, noting that Washington’s season depends on Daniels coming back fully healthy and staying on the field, plus major improvement from a defense that finished dead last in yards allowed in 2025. He also framed this as a proving ground for Dan Quinn, saying this is the year Quinn has to show he has strong coaching chops. And then came the latest setback: left tackle Laremy Tunsil suffered a torn triceps and is expected to miss a significant portion of the season, if not all of it.
That injury only adds to the concern around protection for Daniels, especially after Tyler Biadasz left in free agency and plenty of people have questioned whether Peters and Quinn did enough to support their quarterback. Washington has also had to prepare for the possibility that Nick Allegretti may not be ready for Week 1, which is why Daniels has been working with Julian Good-Jones.
Still, there’s a different read on the Commanders inside their own camp. Daniels is said to have a chip on his shoulder and a strong desire to prove he is still an elite quarterback.
The defense, meanwhile, has talked openly about how well it is coming together and how it has the pieces to get the job done. And Diggs is already showing he can be a solid partner for Terry McLaurin.
That’s the tension with Washington right now: the doubts are real, but so is the belief inside the building. The Commanders will get their first real answer on September 13, when the regular season begins. Until then, the rankings are just a snapshot - and, as the saying goes, subjective.
In Other News...
Commanders Cornerback Question Now Centers On A Familiar Name
Cornerback depth has become one of the quieter questions facing Washington as training camp approaches, and it has a familiar family connection attached to it. After signing Stefon Diggs in the offseason, the Commanders are still looking at ways to shore up the back end of their defense, and that search has naturally led to his brother, Trevon Diggs, as a possible veteran addition.
Trevon Diggs is currently a free agent, which keeps the idea alive for a team that could use help at corner. The fit would make sense on paper because Washington is weighing experience and depth at a spot where every camp rep matters, but the real question is whether the Commanders decide to make a move before practices begin. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders No. 7 Debate Reopens Theismanns Place In Team History
Joe Theismanns old No. 7 has become part of a familiar Washington conversation again, with the former quarterback making it clear he believes the call on whether players can wear it belongs to the franchise. The issue reaches beyond one jersey. It touches the teams long-running and sometimes uneven approach to honoring its best players, from outright retirements to looser forms of recognition, and it naturally invites a fresh look at where Theismann fits in that history.
Theismanns case is built on more than nostalgia, since his career achievements still stand out in Washington lore and compare favorably with some of the names already marked by the organization. Even so, the debate around No. 7 has a way of reopening bigger questions about who gets permanence and why, especially for a team whose history includes both celebrated legends and a handful of unclear distinctions. The unanswered piece now is whether Washington ever decides that Theismann belongs in the same class as the numbers it has chosen to preserve. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Kicker Battle Could Swing On Drew Stevens This Week
The first preseason test arrives this week for the Commanders, and it comes with an extra layer of significance for a roster spot that rarely gets this much attention. Washington opens against the Miami Dolphins with Drew Stevens and Jake Moody still locked in a kicking competition, and the early camp buzz has tilted toward the undrafted rookie as he makes his case for a job no one can afford to take lightly.
Stevens has handled himself well enough in practices to keep the battle interesting, while Moody brings the experience edge into a matchup that now shifts from camp fields to game action. The preseason is where Washington will try to sort out which leg it trusts most for the long haul, and every kick from here on out carries a little more weight than usual. [Read more 🡒]