Commanders left tackle Laremy Tunsil suffers torn triceps, likely out most of 2026 season

Washington Commanders left tackle Laremy Tunsil tore his triceps during one-on-one drills at Saturday’s practice, an injury that will require surgery and is expected to sideline him for a significant chunk, if not most, of the 2026 regular season. ESPN reported he will miss most of the season, while NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Steve Wyche reported the injury will keep him out for at least a significant portion of the year. Tunsil got hurt while trying to block a bull rush from newly signed free agent Odafe Oweh, and video circulating on social media showed him grabbing his arm and kneeling down after the play.

What happened and the injury details

Tunsil, who turned 32 last Sunday, was diagnosed with a torn triceps that will need surgical repair. The injury occurred during a practice rep against Oweh, one of Washington’s offseason additions on the defensive line. The exact recovery timeline has not been specified beyond reports that he will miss a large portion, or possibly all, of the 2026 season.

Tunsil’s standing and recent performance

Tunsil joined the Commanders last offseason via trade from the Houston Texans and started 14 games for Washington in 2025. In March, five months before the injury, Washington signed him to a two-year, $60.2 million extension, making him the first offensive lineman to earn $30 million per year and marking the second time in his career he became the highest-paid player at his position. He is a five-time Pro Bowler and was the No. 13 overall pick by the Miami Dolphins in the 2016 draft. Over his career with Miami, Houston and Washington, he has started 139 games. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the sixth-best offensive tackle in 2025, when he allowed 15 total pressures and two sacks.

Context: a Commanders team already hit hard by injuries

The loss compounds a rough recent stretch for Washington’s offense. After reaching the NFC Championship Game with a 12-5 record in 2024, the Commanders fell to 5-12 in 2025 amid a wave of injuries. Quarterback Jayden Daniels missed 10 games last season, including time for a dislocated elbow. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin missed seven games with a quad injury and had the worst statistical season of his career. Running back Austin Ekeler tore his Achilles in Week 2 of 2025.

Who could replace Tunsil

Washington is expected to look within its own roster to fill the left tackle spot. One option is Brandon Coleman, a 2024 third-round pick out of TCU who started at left tackle for Washington before being moved to left guard once Tunsil arrived last year; Coleman was benched in Week 3 last season in favor of Chris Paul but returned to the left tackle lineup when Tunsil went down late in the year, and this camp he had been competing with Paul for the starting left guard job. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Andrew Wylie is “likely” to become Washington’s new starting left tackle. Wylie is entering his fourth season with the Commanders after six seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs (2017-22), where he started games at left guard, right guard and right tackle and won two Super Bowls with Patrick Mahomes. He was Washington’s starting right tackle previously but has never started at left tackle in his career.

Sources

• CBS Sports
• Yahoo Sports — Laremy Tunsil injury: Eagles’ Week 1 opponent is dealing with bad news · Commanders injury news: Laremy Tunsil reportedly suffers torn triceps · Laremy Tunsil suffered torn triceps on Saturday
• NBC Sports

Featured photo: All-Pro Reels via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)