Commanders' best option to replace Laremy Tunsil already on roster
· Yahoo Sports
The Washington Commanders received devastating news on Saturday. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil was injured during practice and helped off the field. Early reports said Tunsil would undergo further testing, but it was later revealed that he tore his pec. Now, Tunsil will miss a significant portion, if not all, of the upcoming 2026 season.
What does that mean for the Commanders? Well, they have a giant-sized hole to fill at one of the NFL's premium positions. Washington traded for Tunsil in March 2025. In a season full of disappointment, Tunsil certainly didn't disappoint. He was so good that the Commanders gave him a two-year extension of an average annual value of over $30 million per season, making him the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history.
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Washington has some internal options to replace Tunsil. Andrew Wylie is often mentioned as a candidate because he sometimes fills in for him at practice, but that's not realistic. Wylie is good, but he's better suited to play right tackle or either guard position. Veteran Trent Scott remains on the roster, too. But the most obvious candidate is the man who played left tackle before Tunsil and filled in for him at the conclusion of last season: Brandon Coleman.
A third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Coleman played 16 games as a rookie, all at left tackle, and started 12 games. Washington went 12-5 with Coleman playing left tackle and Jayden Daniels at quarterback. However, GM Adam Peters wanted more at the position, leading to the trade for Tunsil, one of the all-time greats. Initially, it was expected that Coleman would play right tackle, but the Commanders selected Josh Conerly Jr. in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft to play there.
Coleman settled in at left guard, starting the first two games last season before he was benched. Coleman would serve as a blocking tight end at times for Washington last season before Tunsil was injured late in the season. While the injury wasn't serious, the Commanders weren't going to put Tunsil out there for the final few games in a lost season. So, Coleman went back to left tackle and started the final three games. He played well.
This spring and now into training camp, Coleman is again competing with Chris Paul for the left guard job. But that competition could be over, as Coleman could be going back to tackle. For his final two starts, Pro Football Focus graded Coleman at 79.1 and 82, respectively, in pass protection.
Coleman's run blocking is solid. And Washington will employ zone blocking in 2026 under new offensive coordinator David Blough, which is a positive for Coleman due to his athleticism. While no player can replace someone of Tunsil's credentials, Washington is fortunate to have Coleman.
There was some talk on social media that the Commanders could move Conerly to left tackle. Could he handle it? Probably. But it would be a bad idea. He was settling in at right tackle last season and has had a strong offseason. It makes the most sense to keep Conerly at right tackle and slide Coleman over to left tackle.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders' best option to replace Laremy Tunsil already on roster