The Washington Commanders made their position on Mike Sainristil impossible to miss in Week 3, and the timing could hardly be worse for the cornerback.
Against the Seattle Seahawks, Washington came away with a stunning upset over the defending Super Bowl champions. It was a result few were willing to call in advance, especially after the Commanders lost quarterback Jayden Daniels to a dislocated elbow. The win gave the team a jolt, but it also offered a pretty clear snapshot of where Sainristil stands right now.
He was not in the starting lineup. Instead, Washington opened with Amik Robertson and either Rasul Douglas or Fabian Moreau on the boundary, while the Michigan product handled nickel work.
By the end of the game, Sainristil had played just 38.8 percent of the defensive snaps after barely seeing the field in the first half. That was the lowest snap percentage of his professional career by a wide margin.
For a player already under pressure, that is a loud message.
And it may get louder soon. Trey Amos is eligible to return from injured reserve after Washington’s international game against the Indianapolis Colts, and that could push Sainristil even farther down the depth chart.
Amos has been out for the best part of a year with a fractured fibula and an ankle sprain, and while the Commanders will handle his return carefully, they also need him back as soon as possible. The 2025 second-round pick could make Sainristil close to a non-factor if the veteran doesn’t clean things up quickly.
Week 3 did nothing to help Sainristil’s case. He looked shaky when he was on the field, allowed a couple of catches, and was also flagged for a penalty. His confidence appears to be slipping, and defensive coordinator Daronte Jones does not have the luxury of waiting around to see if the cornerback figures it out on his own.
Douglas was on the field more and played better against Seattle. Robertson has already established himself as the undisputed CB1 after a strong start to the season, and that may still be true once Amos is back.
Moreau has been steady enough, and Jones trusts him. That leaves Sainristil with a steep climb if he wants to get his role back.
This is not what Washington had in mind when Jones arrived. The hope was that his scheme, and his ability to get more out of defensive backs, would lift Sainristil to another level. Instead, the same discipline and positioning problems are still hanging around, and the shrinking snap count points to a clear lack of trust.
The signs were already there. Head coach Dan Quinn, general manager Adam Peters, and Jones all publicly challenged Sainristil after his rough Week 1 showing against the Philadelphia Eagles. Then he was exposed repeatedly against the Dallas Cowboys, which was enough to send him out of the firing line.
Now the road back is a long one. If Washington keeps winning while his role keeps shrinking, that path only gets tougher.
In Other News...
Commanders First Win Already Comes With Two Major Roster Questions
The Commanders got the kind of early-season result that can steady a locker room, knocking off the Seahawks and ending Seattles 12-game winning streak. It was also the first chance to see how this roster might hold together after the opener, and Washington wasted no time making a move by signing running back Austin Ekeler to the 53-man roster.
Leo Chenals situation adds a much heavier layer to the celebration. The linebacker suffered a neck injury during the game, had successful surgery and is expected to miss the rest of the season, leaving Washington with an immediate hole to address on defense even as it tries to build on a win that should have felt like a clean starting point. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Taking A Real Risk With Jayden Daniels Now
Washington is choosing the short-term path with Jayden Daniels, and that alone tells you how much the Commanders still believe this season is alive. General manager Adam Peters said Daniels will not be placed on injured reserve after dislocating his left elbow again, with the team expecting him back in about three weeks. It is a notable call for a club that has already leaned on its rookie quarterback heavily, and it comes after Washington consulted multiple doctors before settling on a plan that keeps the door open for a quick return.
The decision also underscores just how much risk the Commanders are willing to absorb for the chance to keep Daniels on the field. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that surgery is likely after the season, but Daniels is putting that off so he can continue playing, a choice that has drawn some concern from NFL executives around the league. For Washington, the calculation is obvious: preserve the present, even if the future carries a heavier cost. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Bring Back A Familiar Veteran With Backfield Roles Still Unclear
The Commanders are expected to bring back a familiar veteran in Austin Ekeler, adding another experienced name to a backfield that has already seen plenty of movement. Ekeler, who previously played for Washington and spent his early NFL years with the Chargers, gives the roster a proven pass-catching presence at a position group that is starting to look crowded.
His arrival only sharpens the question of how the touches will be divided once the season gets going. Ekeler has dealt with injuries in recent seasons, but his skill set still fits a specific role, and Washington now has Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rachaad White and Kaytron Allen all in the mix as the team sorts out who handles what. [Read more 🡒]