The 2026 NFL training camps have kicked off around the league, and our team reporters are on the ground each day following all the action. The Washington Commanders camp is taking place in Ashburn, Virginia, and Commanders reporter John Keim has the latest intel on standouts, highlights, position battles, depth chart movement, cut decisions and of course the quarterback room.
What follows is everything we are seeing and hearing at Commanders camp. We will update this file often. Can Washington bounce back from an injury-plagued 2025 season? Who are the breakout players to watch, especially for fantasy football? And which players on the roster bubble could make the final 53?
Dive in to all the updates and be sure to check back for more information until the first full week of the preseason begins Aug. 13.
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Latest news from Commanders camp
Wednesday, Aug. 5
Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels has continued to grow more comfortable in their new offense -- and it's showing on the field. He had a strong day Tuesday and another solid one Wednesday.
He wasn't alone, as backup Marcus Mariota also had a strong day, particularly in the red zone.
Daniels showcased his dynamic ability in a red-zone drill. There was pressure inside, but he extended the play to his right and connected with receiver Jaylin Lane for a score. Later, in 7-on-7 work, Daniels hit wide receiver Luke McCaffrey in the back of the end zone, despite good coverage by Mike Sainristil.
Coaches have said Daniels' growing comfort level can be heard by how he's directing receivers at the line -- focusing on the details of their splits -- or in how he'll remind the center about the snap count as they approach the line.
All of this is what running back Rachaad White expected when he reunited with Daniels, a teammate for two years at Arizona State.
"Why I think he's the best quarterback I played with, it's the way he moves, the way he has poise," said White, who played with Tom Brady and Baker Mayfield in Tampa. "Not a lot of guys can do it as well. I've seen him come through in the clutch so many times for us and it was the same in his rookie year. When you've got a guy like that out there and he's so talented and the way he attacks the game, you'll be in every game."
More observations:
Guard Sam Cosmi and tackle Laremy Tunsil both returned to practice after sitting out Tuesday. But two defensive players sat out today: linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson and corner Amik Robertson. Last season Washington gave a number of vets planned rest days in camp but they're not doing that this season. However, Quinn will give players recovery days when needed and the previous two practices had been two hours long and intense.
Linebacker Sonny Styles closed practice with a hard pop of running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt in a goal-line drill. The defensive players celebrated as if they had just saved a game. One day earlier, defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw said of Styles, "He's coming downhill and he's bringing thump with it. He ain't getting danced out of the hole. You love to see that; he ain't losing his ground on contact."
Washington's corners and receivers competed in one-on-one drills Wednesday. On one play, Sainristil faced Terry McLaurin, who beat him off the line -- Sainristil was then flagged for holding after grabbing him. McLaurin still made the catch
Mariota had a nice play in the red zone. He fooled the defense with a quick fake pump to an out and then found Nick Nash in the back of the end zone. The fake helped create the opening.
Offensive coordinator David Blough likes to call trick plays every practice -- and a variety of them as well. They ran another Wednesday -- media is not allowed to describe the plays -- that worked for a score. Don't be surprised if they become a part of each game.
Tuesday, Aug. 4
Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels continues to remind anyone watching practice of what he can do as a passer. Just in case last season caused anyone to forget.
Daniels, who played in only four full games last year because of injuries, has looked sharp throughout the first week of training camp and Tuesday was no exception.
Among the highlights:
A deep out to receiver Terry McLaurin in which Daniels threw in rhythm for a nice completion.
He extended a play to his right, then threw back to the middle for tight end Ben Sinnott. Daniels kept his eyes upfield and, despite throwing back toward the middle, did not put the ball in danger and Sinnott caught the ball as he slid.
Two plays later he threw a perfect ball over a defender to Jaylin Lane, running a post route on the left side. The 5-foot-10 Lane needed to leap to finish the catch, but he jumped too soon and dropped the pass.
Daniels found receiver Luke McCaffrey running down the middle of the field for another long completion. A corner was covering McCaffrey and a safety closed fast, but the ball was delivered into the tight window.
Overall, Daniels, the NFC offensive rookie of the year in 2024, has looked sharp in camp.
"With him, it's really easy," tight end Chig Okonkwo said. "You just got to be where you're supposed to be and he'll find you with that, with the accurate ball."
Other observations:
Undrafted free agent Drew Stevens, battling Jake Moody for the placekicking job, has had a good camp thus far. On Tuesday, Stevens made all five of his field goals, ranging from 33-56 yards, while Moody missed two of those attempts. Moody missed from 49 and 56 yards. He also missed from 48 yards to cap one full-team drill, while Stevens didn't miss any of his three attempts to punctuate a series.
Right guard Sam Cosmi and left tackle Laremy Tunsil did not practice Tuesday. After a two-hour practice in pads Monday, it was considered a recovery day for Tunsil. Cosmi practiced Monday as well, though at one point appeared to be shaken up.
Receiver Dyami Brown had two nice catches -- one in which he worked back to the ball while draped by a corner and later on a slant pass. Brown helped Washington on screens two years ago.
Newly signed corner Fabian Moreau participated in practice after agreeing to a deal Monday night. He was a third-round pick by Washington in 2017 but left the team after the 2020 season.
Monday, Aug. 3
First-round pick Sonny Styles made his presence felt on the first play from scrimmage -- and the first day with pads.
On an inside handoff to running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Styles filled the hole and popped the running back. Washington doesn't do live tackling so Styles then let up, but the impact was felt.
Through the early part of camp, Styles has stood out because of his length and speed. He has been solid in coverage, particularly when in zone. He broke up a pass to receiver Jaylin Lane in one zone look Monday.
Styles also showed what he could do as a blitzer, getting paired vs. running back Jeremy McNichols on one pressure -- and using his speed and power to attack his outside shoulder and win the rep. Styles has worked often alongside Frankie Luvu.
More observations from the day:
Corner Trey Amos (fractured fibula) and punter Tress Way (biceps), both of whom are on the physically unable to perform list, will be re-evaluated Thursday. There's optimism about their progress.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels made a terrific throw on the run to the back of the end zone for tight end Chig Okonkwo in a red zone drill. Okonkwo was in the back of the end zone with corner Ahkello Witherspoon directly in front of him. Daniels threw the ball to Okonkwo's right, and the tight end waited until the last second to reach over for the ball so Witherspoon wouldn't be able to react.
Corner Mike Sainristil broke up passes to the corner of the end zone on consecutive plays. Receiver Terry McLaurin made a nice catch in the corner and tapped both feet in-bounds as fans in attendance cheered.
Saturday, Aug. 1
Washington Commanders tight end John Bates will miss "a couple of weeks" after suffering a strained hamstring in practice Thursday, coach Dan Quinn said Saturday.
Bates has been one of the NFL's best blocking tight ends and a player Washington values greatly. It does have some depth at the position with Chig Okonkwo, Ben Sinnott as well as Colson Yankoff.
Center Nick Allegretti will miss "the next week or so," according to Quinn, after straining a calf muscle on Wednesday, the first day of camp.
The good news for Washington: receiver Treylon Burks returned to practice after missing Thursday because of a foot issue.
Allegretti's situation also highlights Washington's center depth. He's started four games at center in his career -- a position he considers his most natural -- but 35 at guard. But backup Julian Good-Jones has played two snaps in his career and the third center is rookie sixth-round pick Matt Gulbin.
"It does give you a window into where people are at," Quinn said.
Quinn said because they don't view Allegretti's situation as long-term, the team is not in the market to add another veteran. However, after practice, the Commanders had two other linemen working on snaps and initial blocks at center: third-year lineman Brandon Coleman and first-year guard Tyler Cooper.
Washington's coaches have said in the past that Coleman, who has started at left tackle and left guard in his first two seasons, could play all five line spots. He is currently battling Chris Paul for the starting left guard position.
Brandon Coleman taking a couple snaps at C after practice. He's still competing with Chris Paul at LG but... the more you can do ... and with Allegretti out a week or so they might need another player at the position (or even down the road) so take a few snaps now. pic.twitter.com/pNGXVsnhfO
— John Keim (@john_keim) August 1, 2026
More observations from the day:
The Commanders ran a drill simulating a late-game field goal attempt -- after running a play. The field goal unit had to sprint on the field and get in position for the kick. In this drill, incumbent Jake Moody made all three field goals while Drew Stevens made two, missing from 46 yards. Earlier, during another drill, Moody made all six of his field goal attempts while Stevens missed one.
Sinnott had a mixed day with two drops -- one coming on a perfect pass from Jayden Daniels into a narrow window. But Sinnott also made multiple catches.
One area Daniels has excelled at: getting through his progression in time so if he dumps the ball to his checkdown, that player has room to run. It happened again today with running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt.
Linebacker Sonny Styles showed his length and speed. He broke up one pass in zone, using his long arms to close on the ball. Another time he flashed to the area where the ball was thrown. Had there been live hitting, he would have hit the target as the ball arrived.
Thursday, July 30
Washington's tight ends have been far more active as a group than they had been the previous two seasons.
Newly-signed Chig Okonkwo can be used all over, with wide receiver Terry McLaurin saying he runs routes like a big receiver. That versatility was evident again Thursday, but it's also not just Okonkwo -- all the tight ends, including 2024 second-round pick Ben Sinnott, have run a wider variety of routes.
"It's not even close," Sinnott said. "So many different variations. Today we're lining up at number one [receiver on the outside], we're running five-step ins, we're running corners, we're running options, we're running flat [routes]. We're just doing everything. It's so much fun. It's a breath of fresh air for this offense and how it uses tight ends."
More observations:
Cornerback Rasul Douglas ended practice by intercepting quarterback Marcus Mariota in the end zone. Douglas was signed after mini-camp in part because of his ability to create turnovers.
Julian Good-Jones worked at center in place of Nick Allegretti, who is out with a strained calf muscle. Commanders coach Dan Quinn said he didn't think Allegretti would be out long. He said the same about receiver Treylon Burks, who did not practice because of a sore foot.
Linebacker Odafe Oweh's speed has been noticeable during the first two days of camp. He has created multiple sack situations.
Tight end Colson Yankoff made the catch of the day late in practice, jumping high in traffic for an Athan Kaliakmanis pass in the end zone. Yankoff slammed to the ground, but held onto the ball.
Wednesday, July 29
Washington coach Dan Quinn wanted to set an immediate tone for competition in training camp, so the first full-team drill was red zone work. Quinn also focused on 2-point plays, wanting to make it even more competitive. "Those are the moments I want," Quinn said.
Both sides of the ball could claim success -- and failure.
Starting quarterback Jayden Daniels tossed one perfect pass to the corner of the end zone that receiver Treylon Burks reached up and caught. He also grabbed another high one over the middle. But Daniels was nearly intercepted by corner Mike Sainristil on another pass where the coverage was tight all over.
"It gets the juices flowing, it gets guys ready," Daniels said.
The Commanders' offense ranked fourth in red zone success last season -- but was 20th in number of red zone plays. The defense could really use the work in this area, as it ranked sixth in number of red zone plays ... and 31st in red zone success.
More observations:
Corner Rasul Douglas, signed in June after mini-camp was over, said he adds one key element to the defense: "Turnovers. That's what I do." Douglas has intercepted 21 passes in his career. Washington forced 10 turnovers last season, only ahead of the Jets.
Receiver Terry McLaurin has continued working with young wideouts after practice, as he did in the spring. He was giving tips to rookie receiver Jaden Bradley and second-year receiver Jacoby Jones. Both are facing tough battles just to make the roster. But McLaurin spent time with them after practice, covering them and giving them tips on how to handle certain coverages.
Quinn said defensive end Dorance Armstrong, who tore his ACL in Week 6 last season, is "super close" to returning. Armstrong opened camp on the physically unable to perform list.
Nick Allegretti, the favorite to start at center, left practice early for an undisclosed reason. He's battling Julian Good-Jones for the starting job.
Terry McLaurin helping the young receivers after practice pic.twitter.com/HNRJgnRjZz
— John Keim (@john_keim) July 29, 2026
Tuesday, July 28
Washington remains interested in adding another receiver, but one who had been mentioned often once he's free -- 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk -- has been active with a series of social media posts that, multiple team sources said, could result in the team having no interest if or when he's released. Aiyuk has been vocal about wanting to join the Commanders, as he played with quarterback Jayden Daniels at Arizona State.
Commanders general manager Adam Peters, answering a general question about the impact of a player's social media when deciding to add them, said they "look at everything."
"We look at that stuff but it's not the first thing we look at," Peters said. "We look at tape, we talk to teams and players on how they were in the locker room to make those decisions. It's not usually a huge part of it. Usually."
Washington could sign free agent receiver Stefon Diggs, who has drawn interest from multiple teams. He led the Patriots with 85 receptions for 1,013 yards last season.
More observations:
With Tress Way sidelined by a pectoral injury, the Commanders signed veteran punter Matt Haack. Way, signed in 2015, is Washington's longest-tenured player and signed a one-year deal this offseason.
Peters said cornerback Trey Amos, who fractured his fibula in November, had some "soft-tissue issues" in the offseason was placed on the physically unable to perform list as a precautionary measure. Peters said Amos should return soon.