The Washington Commanders offensive line was dealt a devastating blow Saturday when left tackle Laremy Tunsil suffered a torn left triceps. Coach Dan Quinn announced Monday that Tunsil will need surgery. He added that the logistics of when that surgery will happen hasn’t been determined yet.
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The exact timeline for Tunsil’s return won’t be known until after surgery, but he’s expected to miss multiple months. It’s possible he could miss the entire season. Not only is Tunsil the blind-side protector for quarterback Jayden Daniels, but he’s also the team’s best run blocker. There’s no replacing what Tunsil brings to the table.
“He’s really at the top of his game right now,” Quinn said Monday. “Both in the run and pass, this is an equally strong player. So, it’s a big deal.”
For Washington, the goal is simply finding a way to get serviceable play at left tackle. The plan is to give third-year offensive lineman Brandon Coleman a chance to show he’s up to the task. He was the starting left tackle during practice Monday. Andrew Wylie worked in as his backup.
Coleman started 12 games at left tackle for the Commanders as a rookie in 2024. He played at a solid level, but Washington desired an upgrade and traded for Tunsil last offseason.
Initially, the intent was for Coleman to slide inside and start at left guard. His performance declined, however, and he was benched in favor of Chris Paul after just two games last season.
When Tunsil missed the final three games of the 2025 season because of a hamstring injury, Coleman logged three starts at left tackle in his place. While he played well, that was always going to be a temporary move.
Through OTAs and the first two weeks of training camp, Coleman had been competing with Paul for the starting job at left guard. Now, Coleman must move outside to left tackle yet again while Paul is locked in as the starter at left guard. Quinn believes Coleman has shown a lot of growth at that spot since his rookie year.
“When you go through the tough things, you want to come out the other side stronger, harder, learn the lessons,” Quinn said. “I feel like Brandon and a couple of guys are into that same space. Maybe the resilience that you have to show in going through it, it sucks when you’re doing it, but there is value on the other side of that.”
Coleman has spent time in each of the last two offseasons training with Tunsil. Although he was preparing to play left guard, he still soaked up knowledge about what it takes to excel at left tackle.
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“I think it’s just my mental,” Coleman said. “Just worrying about myself. … And also just taking care of myself a lot better. There’s priorities that I didn’t do the first couple years that I just had to reflect and be accountable on. I changed that last year, but then even more this year; that’s why I went with Laremy and brought my wife out to Alabama in the middle of nowhere. She understood. It’s really just seeing how one of the greatest tackles to ever do it does it. Like, ‘How do I need to live to give myself a chance to be like that guy?’”
He added: “It’s like getting myself a support system, from nutritionists to chefs to the guy he has to work on football and also strength. What rehab do I need to do? What areas of my body do I need to work on more in the weight room?”
Right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. played left tackle in college, but the Commanders preferred to allow him to continue his development on the right side rather than having him switch positions again.
“It wasn’t,” Quinn said when asked whether moving Conerly to left tackle was an option. “We like the progression where Josh is. LT is going to be back [at some point], so we just thought, ‘Let’s keep the development of where Josh is.’”
Quinn said the Commanders don’t plan to explore making an outside addition at left tackle for now. If that were to change, there are a few options who remain available in free agency. Taylor Decker, Cam Robinson and Kelvin Beachum all started double-digit games last season.
Decker stands out as a potential fit. He was teammates on the Detroit Lions with offensive coordinator David Blough from 2019 through 2021 and in 2023. Blough’s offense is influenced by former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s, so Decker should be capable of picking up the scheme quickly.
First, the Commanders will see what Coleman has to offer. It’s unclear whether Washington will play starters in the preseason, but the joint practice with the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday is a good opportunity for Coleman to start building his case to have the job moving forward.
“There will be things that have to change [in the offense], but we have all the trust in the world in Brandon,” Blough said Monday. “He’s played really well at left tackle over the last few years. We’re excited to feature some of things he does well, too. I’m excited about for the opportunity for him while also hurting for Laremy.”
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