Washington Commanders 2026 NFL Season Preview

Offense

Daniels staggered through a dismal 2025, suffering a series of injuries (right knee, right hamstring, left elbow) that limited him to seven starts. But the problems went far beyond Daniels’ health; when he was on the field, he was plagued by the line’s inability to protect him and the severe limitations of (and injuries to) his skill players, some of whom, especially by the end of the season, were plucked off the street. As a result, the Commanders headed into this offseason — which featured a change of coordinators, with David Blough replacing Kliff Kingsbury — in desperate need of some upgrades to Daniels’ supporting cast.

But first, they spent some of their precious cap space in the name of stability, re-signing backup quarterback Marcus Mariota and extending left tackle Laremy Tunsil. Finding pieces to supplement two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Terry McLaurin proved a more elusive target. The Commanders did spend some money to sign tight end Chig Okonkwo and running backs Rachaad White and Jerome Ford, but none of them moved the needle in any significant way. The signings of White and Ford, the return of 2025 seventh-rounder Jacory Croskey-Merritt and the selection of Penn State’s Kaytron Allen in the sixth round of the draft leave the Commanders with a surplus of running backs. The hierarchy will get sorted out during training camp, but Croskey-Merritt, who gained 805 yards and scored eight touchdowns as a rookie, is the incumbent starter.

Antonio Williams, a third-round pick out of Clemson, was an intriguing addition to the wide receiver room — a tough-nosed athlete and superb route-runner who will have a chance to compete for a starting spot in training camp. Although he lined up primarily in the slot at Clemson, the Commanders already have Luke McCaffrey and Jaylin Lane as good options there, so they may also add Williams to the mix, along with Treylon Burks, Dyami Brown and Van Jefferson, to be the outside receiver opposite McLaurin. However, it is an open question whether the Commanders possess a second elite option.

There are similar questions about the offensive line: Tunsil, the left tackle, is an elite performer, ranking second in the league in pass-blocking per Pro Football Focus. But the much-needed upgrades around Tunsil never materialized. The Commanders brought back both starting guards, Chris Paul and Sam Cosmi, as well as second-year right tackle Josh Conerly Jr., and elevated backup center Nick Allegretti to starter following the departure of Tyler Biadasz. The team did spend a sixth-round pick on center Matt Gulbin out of Michigan State.

Defense

When you finish last in the NFL in yards allowed per game (384.3), you’re probably going to need to overhaul the entire unit — and that’s exactly what the team did for new coordinator Daronte Jones, with significant upgrades at all three levels.

The signature move of the Commanders’ offseason — signing edge rusher Oweh to a record four-year $96 million deal that includes $68 million in guaranteed money — got mixed reviews. On the one hand, it appeared (at least on paper) to be an overreach; Oweh, a sixth-year pro, has averaged fewer than seven sacks per season across his career and is not much of a run-stopper. On the other hand, the Commanders desperately needed an upgrade to their pass rush, and Oweh should at least provide that. Another potential upgrade arrived via the draft, with the team spending a fifth-round pick on edge rusher Joshua Josephs out of Tennessee, who could compete with free-agent signee K’Lavon Chaisson for the starting spot opposite Oweh. As for the tackles, the bulk of the snaps are expected to be divided among a trio of holdovers — Daron Payne, Jer’Zhan Newton and Javon Kinlaw — plus veteran Tim Settle, who returned to the fold via free agency.

Linebacker Sonny Styles, drafted seventh overall, should be a perfect fit in Jones’ scheme, with its emphasis on speed and versatility. At 6-foot-5, 243 pounds and with an 81-inch wingspan, Styles is a true second-level playmaker who can do nearly anything. A former safety, he has the speed to cover tight ends or slot receivers, and he’s also an elite tackler. Combined with his high-character makeup, Styles should be the face of the Commanders’ defense for years to come. In 2026, he’ll head up a unit that also includes veteran Frankie Luvu, free-agent signee Leo Chenal and youngsters Jordan Magee and Kain Medrano.

Things appear less settled in the secondary, where the Commanders used free agency to shore up the ranks, signing safety Nick Cross and corner Amik Robertson to two-year deals; the former could wind up starting at strong safety, while the latter is a good fit for nickelback. But the team is also placing a lot of faith in some holdovers who may or not deserve it, such as third-year corner Mike Sainristil, a feast-or-famine sort with a penchant both for making interceptions and giving up big plays, and second-year corner Trey Amos, whose promising rookie season was cut short by a broken leg 10 games in.

Specialists

The placekicker job in Washington has been a revolving door — with seven kickers seeing action the past two seasons — and there is likely to be competition there again during training camp after the team signed Iowa’s Drew Stevens as an undrafted free agent. He will be up against holdover Jake Moody, who signed late in the 2025 season and performed well over his six games in Washington.

By contrast, the punter job is the picture of stability thanks to veteran Tress Way, a Pro Bowler in 2025 for the third time in his career who is back for Year 13 in the burgundy and gold. Last year, he led the NFL by having 52.8% of his punts downed inside the opponents’ 20.

Final analysis

The Commanders have given their fans a case of whiplash these past two seasons, going from 12-5 and an NFC Championship Game appearance in 2024 to a 5-12 trainwreck in 2025. This year’s edition is likely to be somewhere in the middle. Keeping Daniels healthy is obviously among the biggest factors that will determine the team’s fate, but so is the potency of a new-look defense. Should Daniels and Styles both thrive, even a middle-of-the-pack finish in 2026 would represent progress and leave the franchise positioned to take the next step.