Dan Quinn’s Sunday press conference offered a clear look at where the Washington Commanders stand as they work through injuries, competition, and a few key roster decisions.
The biggest update centered on Marcus Mariota. Quinn said Washington is optimistic Mariota will be ready for the start of the regular season, and he added that the team does not expect anyone else to come in at the moment. That also opens the door for more work over the next couple of weeks for Sam and Athan at that spot.
Quinn also gave an update on Trey Amos, stressing that the practice side of his recovery matters just as much as the physical progress. He pointed to Nick Allegretti’s return as a reminder of how important it is to get back on the field, noting that Allegretti had six reps in practice one before getting hurt.
Quinn said Amos needs to keep building through the next two and a half weeks, especially with the movements, skills, and conditioning that come with ramping back up. He said a better estimate may come in about a week or so once he can see the return-to-play steps unfold.
Another area Quinn emphasized was communication along the line, especially with Nick Allegretti. He said it is “for sure super important” not just for Allegretti and Jay, but for the two guards next to him because of the identification and the call.
Allegretti has been doing walkthroughs in the evenings, but Quinn made it clear that is not the same as real reps. He said the staff will not throw 50 plays at him immediately and will ease him back in.
The goal, Quinn said, is to start stacking days with he and Jay together.
The center competition is also heating up. Quinn said both guys are “really starting to make a move,” praising Matt for a clean practice and game, along with his ability to get to the second level and hold up in pass protection.
He also said Julian has stepped in since midway through practice one and has gotten a lot of work. Over the next two weeks or so, Quinn wants to see what the rotation looks like, and he plans to work Matt at some guard as well.
He also said he will get a little bit of Gulbin in that space at some point because interior flexibility matters. Quinn added that he likes where both he and Julian are at and is excited to get Nick back into the mix.
Quinn closed with a strong endorsement of Sonny Styles. He said he has never once thought anything other than that Styles was detailed and attentive from the beginning.
Quinn also said Styles gets great depth in the zones, something he believes could be helped by his safety background. At the same time, Quinn said he wants to see more blitzing in the weeks ahead, including in practice with one-on-ones between backs and backers.
He said that part of the game is important for Styles, Leo, and Frankie, and that it gives him options as a defensive play-caller. Quinn added that he wants to see a little more of that as practice goes on, but said Styles looked like “real command, ready to play” in his first outing.
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Dan Quinn did not have an immediate update after the game, leaving the team to wait for a clearer picture on Mariotas condition. For a Washington roster trying to sort out depth behind the starter, any issue with the top backup is the kind of concern that can linger longer than a single preseason outing. [Read more 🡒]