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Laremy Tunsil is helping Commanders rookie Josh Conerly Jr. in a way that propelled Jayden Daniels to take off last season
Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Laremy Tunsil is helping Commanders rookie Josh Conerly Jr. in a way that propelled Jayden Daniels to take off last season

Originally posted on A to Z Sports  |  By Josh Taylor  |  Last updated Jul 31, 2025 3:59 PM ET

The Commanders have built unique connections on the roster with big-name veterans and rising young stars, but one developing partnership on the field can really elevate the offense once again this season.

Veterans aren't expected to come to a new team and become a mentor for a young player at the same position, but the players that do are the ones that seperate themselves from the others and see the payoff on the field. The Commanders have another mentor and mentee relationship budding between two new players that people probably didn't see coming.

The direct impact of the connection between two teammates

Last season, we were able to see how strong the team's bond became as a whole roster with HC Dan Quinn rebuilding the culture in the locker room, but we also saw seperate connections growing in position groups that helped the team become successful.

The most impactful teammate connection last season came from veteran QB Marcus Mariota and rookie Jayden Daniels and it paid massive dividends into the growth and development of Daniels rookie season. Mariota was a new addition to Washington and not some long-term veteran that's been around, and he still took Daniels under his wing and had his own big moments as well.

There's been another connection building between twom new additions to the team and it can have just the same ling-term impact as Mariota and Daniels' relationship. HC Dan Quinn spoke to the media before practice Thursday and pointed out the connection between Laremy Tunsil and Josh Conerly Jr.

"Last season, Marcus was really instrumental for us with Jaden," Quinn told the media. "He's one of the very best teammates I've ever been around. That type of connection of player to player is really, really strong. So to see that starting to begin with Laremy [Tunsil] and Josh [Conerly Jr.], and having that much trust in somebody, you know, that Josh does of watching him and learning, you can imagine like, what an invaluable experience that is for Josh."

A big-name veteran sees the potential in a promising rookie

Tunsil has spoken very highly of rookie offensive tackle Conerly Jr. ever since the two arrived in Washington, and he went as far as pointing him out as the player he's most impressed with back in June.

Tunsil has been a top-five left tackle in the league for a long time now and he's consistently one of the best pass blockers in the league. The Commanders were aggressive in trading for Tunsil this offseason, but Adam Peters wasn't done adding to the line, and drafted Josh Conerly Jr. with the 29th overall pick in the NFL draft.

Conerly Jr. comes into the league as a young buck at only 21 years old, and still has some growing and development to do just like many other rookies. He already has a a tremendous athletic profile as a rookie though and working with Tunsil can really sharpen his traits and get him on the field as fast as possible without any hiccups.

There were a lot of talks about Tunsil not being a leader with the Houston Texans, but the Commanders have seen the complete opposite. The two tackles have been glued at the hip since the team reported back for training camp and that's a partnership that can grow over the next few years to help solidfy the Commanders offensive line as a top position group in the league.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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