The Commanders are getting close to the point where camp performance stops being interesting and starts deciding careers. With Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season approaching, Washington has already made one notable special teams move, and now the tougher roster calls are coming into view.
This summer has not exactly been smooth. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil is gone, and there’s a chance that absence stretches through the entire season.
Cornerback Trey Amos has also been dealing with a lingering injury. So while the roster picture is already a little shaky, the next round of cuts could make it even more complicated.
One of the names to watch is Jeremy McNichols. He does bring value: special teams work, veteran reliability, and the kind of steady backup production a team can lean on late in the year.
But Washington may be looking for more than steady. Robert Henry Jr. has flashed the kind of burst that can change the conversation.
McNichols is an eight-year veteran and, at 30, unusually old for a running back. He’s also hurt, and head coach Dan Quinn said he won’t be back right away, according to commanderswire.com.
“Jeremy will be out for a few weeks,” Quinn said. “He’s got a pretty good quad injury, so he will not be back in for this week.
And you’ll see him off to the side, working some rehab, in that spot. But he’s got a pretty good quad injury that will take a few weeks for sure.”
Meanwhile, the younger backs made their case in the preseason win over the Dolphins. Kaytron Allen piled up 85 yards on 23 carries and scored a touchdown, and every one of those 23 carries produced positive yardage.
Henry added a 22-yard touchdown run off the edge and finished with 75 yards on 12 carries. That kind of production makes McNichols’ hold on a spot look a lot less secure.
Linebacker Jordan Medrano is in a similar squeeze. The Commanders’ first-round pick of Sonny Styles in the 2026 NFL Draft pushed him down the depth chart, and the addition of free agent Leo Chenal made the path even narrower.
Medrano was a sixth-round pick last year and appeared in nine games, though in limited action. At 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, he still has the athletic profile that keeps him in the conversation.
But Frankie Luvu and Jordan Magee are already ahead of him, and Washington may only keep four off-ball linebackers. Styles also had a rough preseason debut, according to commanderswire.com, which only adds another layer to the competition.
“Me and [LB] Leo [Chenal] were a little frustrated,” Styles said with a smile. “One drive, one touchdown, like 15 plays, so, not ideal, but go again next week.”
The last spot to watch could come down to a receiver battle between Brown and Treylon Burks. Brown returned with confidence, according to commanders.com.
“I kinda understand the game a little bit more than what I have in the past,” Brown said. “I took the steps to learn from other people like Jakobi Myers, BTJ [Brian Thomas Jr.] and even…the quarterback, Trevor [Lawrence]. That kind of took the game to another level and a different viewpoint for me.”
Still, the numbers are what they are. Brown has never caught more than 30 passes in a season, and his career high in receiving yards is 308. Burks has not lived up to expectations either, but injuries have been a major part of his story.
That competition got harder for both players when the Commanders signed Stefon Diggs. First-year offensive coordinator David Blough said Diggs has already changed the room, according to commanders.com.
“I think Stefon adds an element of experience,” first-year offensive coordinator David Blough said. “Savvy, understanding timing, leverage.
He's played a lot of meaningful football, a lot of yards. I think through having him for three practices, you feel his leadership too.
You feel him bringing the guys together, challenging everybody to keep pushing forward. The ball finds him, because he finds space.”
Brown could still survive if Washington keeps seven receivers instead of six, but that’s far from certain. And with roster quality already a concern, the Commanders can’t afford many mistakes when they start trimming the list. One wrong decision now could linger well beyond opening week.
In Other News...
Jayden Daniels Is Stuck In An Awkward Distraction He Did Not Need
Jayden Daniels has tried to keep the focus where it belongs this season, on his play for Washington, but an unexpected offseason issue from his LSU days has followed him into the conversation anyway. The Commanders quarterback has been performing well on the field in 2025, yet his connection to the No. 5 jersey he once wore in Baton Rouge has become a lingering off-field subplot that he did not need.
What has made it especially awkward is how public the whole thing has become, with the matter drawing plenty of trolling and commentary far beyond the LSU campus. Daniels has kept doing his job for Washington while the noise swirls around him, but this is the kind of distraction that can stick around longer than anyone involved would probably like. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Roster Shakeup Started With A Brutal Jerome Ford Turn
The Commanders latest roster churn started with a rough preseason night for Jerome Ford, whose hamstring injury during Fridays win over Miami quickly changed the look of the back end of Washingtons depth chart. Ford landed on injured reserve, ending his season before it could really begin, and the ripple effect showed up elsewhere as the team also moved receiver River Cracraft to injured reserve.
From there, Washington kept busy filling out the roster with a wave of additions, including Maurice Hurst II, Tre McKitty, Krys Barnes and Craig Reynolds, while also making other cleanup moves at kicker and punter. It was the kind of late-summer shuffle that can make the bottom of a roster feel anything but settled, and for a team still sorting out its final shape, one injury turned into several decisions in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Tackle Depth Just Entered A Trade Rumor Fans Will Notice
Laremy Tunsils injury has forced the Commanders into a quick reset at one of the most important spots on the field, with Dan Quinn already turning to Brandon Coleman as the new starter at left tackle. For now, the team is saying it will ride with what it has rather than chase outside help, even as the loss creates a real test for a position group that did not have much margin to begin with.
Walker Littles name has surfaced as a theoretical fit because of that need, but the conversation is still just that, a conversation. There have been no reported trade talks, and the Jaguars tackle is dealing with his own injury situation, which only adds to the uncertainty around whether Washington will stay internal or eventually have to explore a more aggressive answer. [Read more 🡒]