Breaking Down Top Storylines From Early Commanders Training Camp Practices

The addition of Stefon Diggs on Wednesday is the big news of the week, but there are still plenty of other Commanders storylines to cover. Washington players were in pads for the first time Monday, and the team responded with their best practice of camp thus far. The players went without pads on Tuesday before suiting up again on a rainy Wednesday. There was a lot to cover in those three days.

Key Commanders players look sharp early

The 2025 season did not go according to plan for many of the Washington Commanders’ star players. Quarterback Jayden Daniels battled injuries and inconsistent play, receiver Terry McLaurin sat out a good portion of training camp while missing time in the regular season due to injury, and future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner’s play fell off substantially. Monday’s practice was a big step towards putting last year’s disappointing season behind them and moving forward with a new attitude and energy.

Daniels started the week sharp, throwing a dot to tight end Chig Okonkwo in the back of the end zone and following it up with a pinpoint fade to McLaurin. Daniels looked in control of the new offense, and before Monday’s practice, Dan Quinn said he is “further ahead” with the new scheme than Quinn imagined he would be at this point. Daniels stayed hot on Tuesday, slinging the ball with a quick release, and looked sharp all three days.

McLaurin did his part, hauling in the throw on the corner and looking like his old self. Rookie linebacker Sonny Styles also met early first-round expectations when the pads came on Monday and made a splash play of his own to start the first padded practice. He also had another to finish the session Wednesday.

Sam Cosmi was bringing it on Monday as well, driving defenders off the ball, he followed it with a rest day on Tuesday before returning Wednesday. Everyone expects these names to play well, but it is always a welcome sight for key players to perform at a high level. Many have noted that Daniels looks sharper in camp this year than the last two.

How will the linebacker room shake out this season?

One of the big talking points last week was the confirmation of Leo Chenal and Sonny Styles possibly playing in dual MIKE roles this season, but Frankie Luvu stepped into the linebacker conversation this week. The team started full field work, and the defense utilized some 4-3 looks with Styles as the MIKE, Luvu at WILL, and Leo on the ball as a strong side backer. So far, Luvu is having a good camp and looks like his old self in the new scheme.

Of note, Luvu also appeared to be wearing the green dot during Tuesday’s session. Linebacker utilization is one of the items the team wants to keep under wraps, and while Frankie might not match his snap total from last season, coordinator Daronte Jones appears poised to use Luvu as a blitzer and disruptor where he could be more effective in less snaps.

Fight is on for the last roster spot in the wide-receiver room

The Diggs addition clearly changes the roster math for the wide receivers. While there has been some speculation the team could keep seven wide receivers, there will be a roster crunch for a team that plans to utilize heavy personnel groupings. McLaurin, Diggs, and Williams are all locks, and Luke McCaffrey made his case to be one this week. He had a good day of practice on Monday and a great one on Tuesday with multiple receptions and a catch-and-run for a long touchdown. He followed it up with another splash play on Wednesday.

It’s all about stacking good days on top of each other in camp, and McCaffrey has been the best at it so far. Dyami Brown and Jaylin Lane both had drops on key throws and need to build more consistency, but Lane should make the roster as a punt returner. Daniels singled out Treylon Burks in his wide receiver discussion on Saturday, and after recovering from foot soreness, Burks continued to take first-team reps alongside McCaffery. Van Jefferson has also looked good at times. The last wide receiver will need to be a contributor on special teams, which still gives undrafted free agent Jaden Bradley a chance at a roster spot. In Week 6 of his senior season at UNLV, Bradley blocked a punt and also returned a different blocked punt for a touchdown. Bradley also returned five kickoffs for 106 yards and one punt for 36 yards over the course of the season.

When will the Commanders injured players return?

Ahkello Witherspoon was placed on the reserve/retired list on Tuesday. While the team added Fabian Moreau as a reasonable depth piece, the loss of another player in the cornerback room highlighted the need to get Trey Amos back on the field. The second-year cornerback was sighted at camp this week, in good spirits and moving well, and the team will reassess his availability today. TressWay was seen getting some punts in before practice on Wednesday and will also be evaluated at the same time.

The team added a center in Trey Hill, but it was more for practice functionality than concern over Allegretti’s injury. Still, Washington needs to get Nick back sooner than later. Julian Good-Jones had another bad snap during Tuesday’s session while Matt Gulbin continues to be brought along slowly. The team also seems to have focused on developing Tim McKay at center so he can bring his versatility at all three positions along the offensive line.

As expected, there is still no timeline for Dorance Armstrong and Deatrich Wise, and it was reported earlier that tight end John Bates would be out for at least another week. The team did get linebacker Kain Medrano back on Monday, and he immediately made his presence known with an interception. Several players also missed Wednesday’s session, so we will wait for an update there.

UDFA Watch

The kicking matchup between Jake Moody and Drew Stevens looked fairly even on Monday, but Stevens pulled ahead in Tuesday’s session, going 5-for-5, including a 55-yarder with plenty of room to spare. Moody went 3-for-5, missing two field goals in the kicking session and another in the team’s 11-on-11 sessions. There is a long way to go in the competition, but right now the UDFA has the edge.

Jeffrey M’babatted down a pass to blow up a running back screen play in Tuesday’s session. The first mention of the big defensive linemen I have seen so far.

Chris Hilton Jr. (#10) won his one-on-one drill with Mike Sainristil on Wednesday.

The previously mentionedBradley had a quiet week after a hot start, but Brown was spotted giving him additional tips on Tuesday and Bradley made a touchdown catch after dropping one previously in the session.