The Washington Commanders just got the kind of news no offense wants to hear a week before the season starts. Star left tackle Laremy Tunsil suffered a torn triceps during Saturday’s practice and is expected to miss a significant portion of the 2026 season.
Mike Garafolo of NFL Network broke the story, reporting that Tunsil went down during 1-on-1 pass-rush drills and will likely need surgery. Adam Schefter added that the Commanders are still working out the exact timeline, but nobody in Washington is expecting a quick return.
This is a five-alarm fire for Jayden Daniels. Tunsil is a five-time Pro Bowler and one of the best pass protectors in football. You do not just plug in a random tackle and pretend that hole is not there. Daniels was already going to be under pressure to build on his rookie breakout, and now he has to do it with a downgraded blindside.
The timing makes it hurt even more. Washington traded for Tunsil from the Houston Texans in 2025, then handed him a fresh 2-year, $60.2 million extension back in March. He started 14 games in his first season with the team and looked every bit like the anchor the Commanders paid for.
Now the front office is scrambling. There are veteran tackles floating in free agency, but nobody who moves the needle the way Tunsil does. Washington could try to slide over a right tackle and audition a swing option on the right side. They could dip into the trade market, though most teams are not looking to give up their best lineman a week before Week 1. And they could just roll with what they have and hope Daniels can survive on scrambles and quick throws.
None of those options are great. The Commanders were built to compete in the NFC East this year. That means winning games in Philadelphia, in Dallas, and against a New York Giants team that is finally serious about pass rush. Every one of those matchups just got harder without Tunsil on the field.
There is a real question about how Daniels handles this. He is coming off an MVP-caliber rookie season where his mobility saved plenty of possessions. But the film shows a quarterback who liked stepping up in a clean pocket. Losing your left tackle changes how you feel every dropback, and young quarterbacks tend to develop bad habits when the pressure gets loud.
Head coach Dan Quinn will need to lean into his rushing attack and use more play action and rollouts to keep the defense guessing. Expect more Brian Robinson Jr., more Terry McLaurin schemed open on screens, more high-low concepts designed to get the ball out fast.
Tunsil is 32, and torn triceps injuries at his age are worth watching closely. Most players return from this surgery, but returning to Pro Bowl form is a different question. The Commanders will hold their breath through the recovery and hope his 2027 looks normal.
For 2026, though, the mission changes. Washington was chasing a division title. Now they are just trying to protect their franchise quarterback until reinforcements arrive.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
