Quan Martin spent the offseason with his future in Washington hanging in the balance, and the early signs from camp and the preseason suggest he’s done enough to keep the conversation going.
That’s a meaningful turn for a player who entered the summer with a short leash and plenty to prove. The arrival of defensive coordinator Daronte Jones gave Martin a new chance to reset, and so far he’s taken advantage of it. The 2023 second-round pick out of Illinois has worked his way back into starting consideration opposite free-agent addition Nick Cross, and he’s looked far more comfortable in game-like action than he did a year ago.
The difference has shown up in the details. Martin hasn’t looked like the shaky presence that frustrated fans last season, and his improved play has already produced two interceptions during Washington’s preseason slate. That alone doesn’t settle anything, but it does point to a player who looks far better suited to what Jones is asking of him.
Washington didn’t make much of a splash at safety this offseason. Cross was the only notable addition, and general manager Adam Peters passed on the position during the 2026 NFL Draft.
For Martin, that was a clear sign the door wasn’t closed. He came into the summer knowing it was a last-chance opportunity after his projected breakout in 2025 never materialized, and the Commanders’ approach gave him room to fight back into the picture.
Still, the work is far from finished. Martin is in a contract year, and the Commanders will demand more than a hot preseason stretch. Consistency will be the test, and nothing he’s done yet changes the fact that regular-season production is the only thing that really counts.
That said, the change under Jones is impossible to ignore. Very few defenders flourished under Joe Whitt Jr., and Jones appears to be getting more out of this group already. Martin could be one of the biggest beneficiaries if this summer proves to be the beginning of something real.
Fans have seen this movie before, which is why the skepticism is understandable. Martin has already asked people to buy into his upside once, and that trust was burned. But after taking his lumps, he’s pushing back, and that fight matters.
If this does turn into a true revival, it would give Jones another feather in his cap and add a new layer to a defense that could be better than expected. The Commanders may be ready to trust Martin again. Now he has to prove that trust is deserved.
In Other News...
Commanders Suddenly Have Trade Candidates As Final Cuts Close In
Adam Peters is coming up on one of the busiest stretches of the preseason, with the Commanders needing to trim their roster from 90 players to 53 by the deadline. As Washington sorts through a few crowded position groups, the front office has some tougher calls than usual, and a handful of players who may not fit the final picture are suddenly part of the conversation.
Treylon Burks and Jordan Magee are among the names worth watching as the Commanders weigh whether to keep depth, deal from it or simply move on. In a league where every roster spot matters, Washington appears open to finding value wherever it can before the final cuts hit, which makes these next few days more than just a formality. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Safety Decision Already Looks Worse Than Fans Feared
A preseason miscue was enough to push Will Harris to the edge, and the Commanders ended up cutting ties with the veteran safety after a performance that had already been raising concerns behind the scenes. Washington still has other options in the secondary it believes are better fits, so the move also gives the front office some salary-cap relief while it reshapes the back end of the defense.
Harris had one year left on his contract, which is what makes the decision feel like more than a routine roster churn move. The bigger question now is whether his time in Washington is simply over or whether he can land somewhere else and prove the Commanders moved on faster than they needed to, especially with the starting job conversation already looking shaky before the release. [Read more 🡒]
Jayden Daniels Is Taking Washingtons Offense Into A Dangerous New Phase
The Commanders have spent this preseason pushing their offense into a more demanding and less predictable shape, with Jayden Daniels taking on more control at the line and more responsibility for steering the operation before the snap. The idea is to get beyond a tightly scripted approach and let the quarterback use his football IQ and passing ability to create answers in real time, while the rest of the skill group stays sharp enough to keep pace with what the defense is showing.
It is the kind of shift that can make an offense harder to defend, but only if everyone around Daniels is ready for the same level of detail. Washington is still working through issues up front, and the addition of Stefon Diggs gives the unit another piece to deploy as it tries to become more versatile and more dangerous. For now, the bigger question is how quickly all those moving parts can mesh once the games start to matter. [Read more 🡒]