Commanders Sign D.J. Humphries After Laremy Tunsil Injury

Confirmed: The Washington Commanders signed veteran offensive tackle D.J. Humphries on Wednesday, adding an experienced option after Laremy Tunsil suffered a torn triceps that requires surgery. Washington has not declared Humphries the new starter, and the signing should be read as competition and protection against uncertainty rather than an automatic depth-chart promotion.

The Commanders announced the transaction on August 26. Humphries has appeared in 108 regular-season games with 101 starts and earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2021. CBS Sports reported that the agreement is for one year.

Why Washington needed another tackle

Tunsil's injury removed the most accomplished blocker from the line and forced Washington to reshuffle during the most important evaluation stretch of the preseason. Head coach Dan Quinn confirmed that Tunsil will undergo surgery, while the club described the absence as extended. The team initially moved Brandon Coleman back toward tackle after he had competed at guard, creating a chain reaction across more than one position.

The team's original Tunsil update made the problem clear: replacing an elite left tackle is not a one-player swap. Humphries gives Washington 11 seasons of NFL experience, but the coaching staff still has to decide whether he can handle the left side immediately, whether Coleman remains the better short-term option and how the choice affects the guard competition.

Player	Current situation	What Washington must evaluate
Laremy Tunsil	Surgery for torn triceps	Recovery timeline and roster designation
Brandon Coleman	Moved back toward tackle	Whether he can hold the starting left side
D.J. Humphries	Signed August 26	Conditioning, scheme fit and left-tackle readiness

Washington hosts Atlanta in December 2024. Photo: Dissident93, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Image source: Atlanta at Washington photograph on Wikimedia Commons. Creator: Dissident93. License: CC0.

What Humphries can realistically change

Humphries brings starting experience and a history of playing the premium blind-side position. He does not arrive with a guarantee that his past form will immediately return. The 32-year-old last played for the Rams, and Washington is adding him late enough that conditioning, terminology and communication with the left guard and center matter almost as much as his résumé.

The upside is that the Commanders no longer have to force one solution. They can compare Humphries and Coleman in practice, preserve flexibility at guard and keep a veteran fallback if the preferred lineup struggles. That is particularly important before the final roster cut, when injuries elsewhere could change how many offensive linemen the club carries.

The one-year structure also keeps the decision clean. Washington is not committing the future of the position to a late-August signing; it is purchasing experience for a season in which Tunsil's availability is uncertain. Humphries can earn a starting role through practice performance, serve as the game-day swing tackle or allow Coleman to move wherever the best five-man combination needs him. Each outcome has value even if Humphries never reproduces his 2021 Pro Bowl form.

There is also a communication test that will not show up in a transaction announcement. A left tackle must recognize pressure with the guard, understand Daniels' launch points and adjust when Washington changes the protection at the line. Humphries' experience should shorten that learning curve, but the next several practices will determine whether it is short enough for Week 1.

Impact on Jayden Daniels and the offense

For Jayden Daniels, the signing is a risk-management move. A stable left edge allows Washington to keep more receivers in routes and reduces the need to protect every dropback with a tight end or running back. If the tackle spot remains unsettled, expect more quick-game concepts, movement passes and protection help. Those adjustments can preserve efficiency, but they can also narrow the route tree and reduce explosive opportunities.

The same roster logic appeared in Kansas City's trade for Joshua Ezeudu: late-August line additions are often about creating viable options before Week 1. Washington's move also belongs beside the 2026 preseason injury report because Tunsil's absence affects both real football and fantasy projections.

Washington Commanders players and staff at the Pentagon in October 2024. Photo: U.S. Department of Defense, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Image source: Washington Commanders Pentagon visit photograph on Wikimedia Commons. Creator: U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen H. Hicks office. License: public domain.

The next checkpoint

Watch where Humphries lines up in the next full practice and whether he receives first-team work. Also watch Coleman: if he returns to guard quickly, that would be a stronger sign Washington views Humphries as the preferred tackle. If Coleman stays outside and Humphries rotates, the signing is functioning as competition and insurance. The final 53-man roster will reveal how much depth the club believes it needs while Tunsil recovers.

Football Nation takeaway

This is a sensible, necessary signing, but it does not replace Tunsil's proven level by declaration. Humphries gives Washington a credible path to avoid a protection crisis and buys the coaching staff time to choose the best five-man combination. The move raises the floor of the line more than it raises the ceiling. That is still meaningful for Daniels and every Washington skill player.

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