Commanders Eyeing Laremy Tunsil Extension; Latest On Daron Payne
Laremy Tunsil has brought back two big trade packages in his career. While the haul the Texans parted with to acquire the veteran left tackle dwarfs what the Commanders sent to Houston for his rights, Washington still included four draft picks to upgrade at the premium position.
The Commanders traded second-, third-, fourth- and seventh-round picks to the Texans for Tunsil and a fourth last March. Tunsil delivered another strong year at LT, but he missed three games and did not receive an original-ballot Pro Bowl invite. Still, the Commanders were satisfied with the upgrade he provided.
[RELATED: Commanders Extend P Tress Way]
GM Adam Peters said the team wants to extend Tunsil “sooner rather than later,” via ESPN.com’s John Keim. Peters said “constant communication” has taken place between team and player on a new deal — one that would be Tunsil’s fourth NFL agreement.
Rumblings about an extension push emerged in December. Beyond his Dolphins rookie contract, the Texans paid the former first-rounder in 2020 and 2023. Tunsil is still tied to a three-year, $75MM deal. That pact expires after the 2026 season. The Texans not prioritizing a Tunsil deal in 2024 led them to move on.
If Tunsil enters this season on his current deal, he will (barring a restructure) count $24.91MM on Washington’s cap sheet. The Commanders are in good position to pay their blindside blocker, holding a projected $76MM-plus in cap space. That number should grow ahead of the league year (March 11), giving the team plenty of room to work out a deal with the 11th-year veteran.
Pro Football Focus ranked Tunsil seventh among qualified tackles in 2025, ranking him as the NFL’s second-best pass blocker. Much of Tunsil’s season came protecting Marcus Mariota, with Jayden Daniels playing only seven games. The Commanders sought Tunsil to provide an upgrade on their Cornelius Lucas–Brandon Coleman situation from 2024, but Tunsil and Daniels did not see too much time together. The team has since moved on from OC Kliff Kingsbury, with David Blough promoted to replace him.
Tunsil, 31, has driven a hard bargain in the past. The Texans sending two first-round picks and a second to the Dolphins for Tunsil in 2019 emboldened the Pro Bowl LT to command a market-shifting extension ($22MM per year) in 2020. The market did not move much between Tunsil’s first and second deals, but he scored $50MM guaranteed at signing (compared to $40MM at signing in 2020) on his 2023 Houston extension. The Commanders would owe Tunsil a $20.95MM base salary on that contract, but given what the NFC East team gave up to acquire him, an extension seems likely.
Washington has two veteran contracts on its O-line, with Samuel Cosmi at $18.5MM per year and Tyler Biadasz at $10MM AAV. The latter also looms as an extension candidate, but Tunsil will be the higher priority. The Commanders can save $18.5MM by releasing Marshon Lattimore and nearly $4MM by cutting Nick Allegretti. The team can also create cap space with a Daron Payne extension, but Keim adds that is not a given just yet.
Extended after being franchise-tagged in 2023, Payne is in a contract year. The veteran defensive tackle is due to count a team-high $27.95MM on this year’s cap sheet. The Ron Rivera regime paid Payne, who was a Bruce Allen draft choice. The Commanders were pleased with Payne’s play in 2025, per Keim, who adds a “definite chance” exists he plays out his contract. Payne is going into an age-29 season; he would be positioned to land another lucrative contract if he hits free agency in 2027.
Wes Welker To Remain On Commanders’ Staff In 2026
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn addressed the media on Tuesday. During the press conference, he made a number of announcements regarding the team’s coaching staff for next year.
Among those was the confirmation that Wes Welker will remain with the Commanders for 2026. Welker joined Washington’s staff last April, holding the title of personnel analyst.
While Welker’s exact role for next season has not yet been clarified, he will work on the Commanders’ offensive staff (h/t JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington). Quinn said Welker helped out on special teams last season while Commanders assistant ST coordinator Brian Schneider battled cancer (via Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic).
As an NFL wide receiver from 2004-15, Welker’s expertise is on the offensive side of the ball. With 903 catches, 50 receiving touchdowns and five Pro Bowl nods, Welker enjoyed an especially impressive playing career. He began as a coach in 2017 with the Texans as an offensive/special teams assistant, a position he held for two seasons.
After his Houston tenure concluded, Welker went on to coach receivers for the next six seasons. He divided his time between San Francisco (2019-21) and Miami (2022-24), working alongside Mike McDaniel in both stops. Welker’s partnership with McDaniel ended when Quinn hired him.
Elsewhere on Washington’s staff, Quinn announced new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones will have the authority to implement his own system (via Finlay). Jones, a first-time NFL DC, spent the past four years coaching the Vikings’ defensive backs. He’s replacing the fired Joe Whitt, who lost his job after a season in which Quinn stripped him of play-calling duties. Jones will take over for Quinn as the play-caller in 2026.
Washington’s Jones-led defensive staff will include William Gay as the cornerbacks coach and Darryl Tapp as an assistant D-line coach, per John Keim of ESPN. Gay, a longtime NFL corner, was the Commanders’ assistant DBs coach from 2024-25. Tapp was the Commanders’ line coach for the past two years, but the former defensive end will take a step back next season. He’ll work under new DL coach Eric Henderson.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Final 2026 NFL Draft Order
With Super Bowl LX in the books, the full 2026 NFL draft order has been set. Free agency is not far away, but attention will increasingly turn to April’s event as the offseason progresses.
The top of the first-round order is not subject to much in the way of speculation. The Raiders own the No. 1 selection and are widely seen as the landing spot for Fernando Mendoza, the lone quarterback regarded as a first-round lock at this point. How other QB-needy teams positioned throughout the order operate over the coming weeks – knowing there is a lack of high-end prospects this year – will make for an interesting storyline around the league.
This year’s NFL Combine will begin on February 23. Events such as the Senior Bowl have already taken place, leaving the Combine as the next major checkpoint in the evaluation of top prospects. Teams will begin arranging ‘Top 30’ visits with several players of interest relatively soon during the build-up to the draft. This year’s event will take place in Pittsburgh from April 23-25.
Pending the inevitable trades which will shake up the order, here is a final look at how things stand leading up to Day 1:
- Las Vegas Raiders (3-14)
- New York Jets (3-14)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-14)
- Tennessee Titans (3-14)
- New York Giants (4-13)
- Cleveland Browns (5-12)
- Washington Commanders (5-12)
- New Orleans Saints (6-11)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-11)
- Cincinnati Bengals (6-11)
- Miami Dolphins (7-10)
- Dallas Cowboys (7-9-1)
- Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)
- Baltimore Ravens (8-9)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9)
- New York Jets (via Colts)
- Detroit Lions (9-8)
- Minnesota Vikings (9-8)
- Carolina Panthers (8-9)
- Dallas Cowboys (from Packers)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
- Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
- Philadelphia Eagles (11-6)
- Cleveland Browns (from Jaguars)
- Chicago Bears (11-6)
- Buffalo Bills (12-5)
- San Francisco 49ers (12-5)
- Houston Texans (12-5)
- Los Angeles Rams (12-5)
- Denver Broncos (14-3)
- New England Patriots (14-3)
- Seattle Seahawks (14-3)
HOF QB Sonny Jurgensen Passes Away
Hall of Fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen passed away Friday at the age of 91, his family announced.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our husband, father, and grandfather, Sonny Jurgensen,” Jurgensen’s family stated. “We are enormously proud of his amazing life and accomplishments on the field, marked not only by a golden arm, but also a fearless spirit and intellect that earned him a place among the greats in Canton.”
A former Duke Blue Devil whom the Eagles chose in the fourth round of the 1957 draft, Jurgensen evolved into one of the greatest signal-callers in the history of the sport. After serving as a backup over his first four seasons, including to fellow Hall of Famer Norm Van Brocklin during Philadelphia’s championship-winning campaign in 1960, Jurgensen became a full-time starter in 1961.
In his first year leading the Eagles’ offense, Jurgensen broke through with league highs in completions (235), yards (3,723) and touchdown passes (32). He earned his first of four All-Pro selections and his first of five Pro Bowl nods that season.
Jurgensen again led the league in passing in 1962, but the Eagles spiraled to a 3-10-1 record after going 10-4 the previous year. The team posted another dismal record of 2-10-2 in 1963, including a 1-6-1 mark in Jurgensen’s starts, and traded him to Washington for quarterback Norm Snead and defensive back Claude Crabb in the ensuing offseason.
The move to Washington rejuvenated Jurgensen, who played his last 11 seasons with the team formerly known as the Redskins. He spent his first seven seasons in Washington as a starter. Jurgensen went to four Pro Bowls and led the league in passing three times during that span. He wound down his career as Billy Kilmer‘s backup from 1971-74 before retiring at the age of 40.
Jurgensen, who became a member of Washington’s Ring of Fame, ranks second in franchise history to Joe Theismann in completions, attempts, yards and touchdown passes. With 31 TD passes in 1961, he continues to hold the single-season franchise record 65 years later. The team retired his No. 9 in 2022.
“Sonny Jurgensen is, and always will be, one of the defining legends of Washington football,” Commanders owner Josh Harris said. “He was a brilliant leader, Hall of Fame quarterback, and had one of the best arms the game has ever seen. … Our hearts and prayers are with Sonny’s family, friends, and everyone who loved him.”
Also a member of the Eagles’ Hall of Fame, Jurgensen sits fifth on their all-time TD passes list. Despite playing during the pre-1978 “Dead Ball” era, Jurgensen ranks 26th all-time in TD tosses (255) and 51st in yards (32,224). He led all “Dead Ball” era QBs in passer rating (82.62). Jurgensen is a member of the 1960s All-Decade Team who earned enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983. He enjoyed a 38-year career as a broadcaster after he hung up his cleats.
2026 NFL Offseason Outlook Series
Pro Football Rumors is breaking down how all 32 teams’ offseason blueprints are shaping up. Going forward, the Offseason Outlook series is exclusive to Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers, and that link provides details on how to sign up for an annual membership.
This post will be updated as more Outlooks are published.
AFC East
- Buffalo Bills
- Miami Dolphins
- New England Patriots
- New York Jets
AFC North
- Baltimore Ravens
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Cleveland Browns
- Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC South
- Houston Texans
- Indianapolis Colts
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Tennessee Titans
AFC West
- Denver Broncos
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Los Angeles Chargers
NFC East
- Dallas Cowboys
- New York Giants
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Washington Commanders
NFC North
- Chicago Bears
- Detroit Lions
- Green Bay Packers
- Minnesota Vikings
NFC South
- Atlanta Falcons
- Carolina Panthers
- New Orleans Saints
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFC West
- Arizona Cardinals
- Los Angeles Rams
- San Francisco 49ers
- Seattle Seahawks
Commanders To Hire Eric Henderson As Defensive Run Game Coordinator/DL Coach
The Commanders’ defensive staff under new coordinator Daronte Jones is continuing to take shape.
USC co-defensive coordinator Eric Henderson is set to join Washington as their defensive line coach/run game coordinator, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. He also held those titles during his two years with the Trojans.
The 43-year-old started his NFL career as a Bengals defensive end, but only appeared in two games in 2008. After a few years in the now-defunct UFL, he retired from playing and began a coaching career at the college level. Henderson moved up to the NFL in 2017 as the Chargers’ assistant defensive line coach. After two years, he was hired by the Rams as their defensive line coach and had run game coordinator added to his title in 2023.
Headlined by Aaron Donald, the Rams’ defensive line was consistently excellent under Henderson, both in terms of stuffing the run and pressuring opposing quarterbacks. The unit played a major role in their 2018 and 2021 playoff runs, the latter of which featured a Super Bowl win for the franchise.
Henderson left Los Angeles in 2024 to get his first coordinator job, though he was not the Trojans’ defensive play-caller. Those duties fell to D’Anton Lynn, but after his departure for Penn State, Henderson called plays in the Alamo Bowl. USC’s defense ranked 57th and 51st in the FBS in points allowed in 2024 and 2025. Their run defense – Henderson’s focus – finished in a similar range. Those are uninspiring results, but his previous success in Los Angeles offers plenty of reason to believe that he can resurrect a Commanders run defense that ranked 30th in the league in 2025.
Commanders Part Ways With Ryan Kerrigan, Sharrif Floyd, Pete Ohnegian
The Commanders are parting ways with some of their incumbent defensive coaching staff.
Assistant linebackers coach/pass rush specialist Ryan Kerrigan, assistant defensive line coach Sharrif Floyd, and player development coach Pete Ohnegian will all be leaving the team, per KRPC2’s Aaron Wilson. The moves were expected regardless of who the team selected as their DC, according to ESPN’s John Keim.
Kerrigan, 37, is the highest-profile departure. He spent 10 of his 11 NFL seasons in Washington, earned four Pro Bowls, and finished his career as the franchise leader in tackles for loss (116) and forced fumbles (26). Kerrigan also ranks second in team history with 95.5 sacks. After retiring in 2021, he returned to Washington as an assistant defensive line coach. He spent two years in that role before the arrival of Dan Quinn in 2024, who moved Kerrigan to the position he just vacated. The Commanders’ pass rush was middling in his first year in the role, but regressed this past season.
Floyd, 34, is also a former player. He was a Vikings defensive tackle from 2013 to 2017 and started a coaching career shortly after. He started at the high school level and served as an undergraduate assistant at Florida before joining the Cowboys as an assistant defensive line/defensive quality control coach in 2023. He then followed Quinn to Washington, where the Commanders have struggled against the run in back-to-back years.
Ohnegian was another assistant on Quinn’s staff in Dallas, though he only worked for the Cowboys in 2023. Like Floyd, he followed Quinn to Washington in 2024 and moved into a player development role.
NFC North Coaching Updates: Vikings, Petzing, Packers
Barring a departure for one of the two remaining open head coaching positions, the Vikings have fulfilled their biggest offseason wish of retaining defensive coordinator Brian Flores, even securing him long-term with a contract extension. While Flores is still around, assistant head coach Mike Pettine has retired, passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Daronte Jones landed a coordinator job with the Commanders, and the team moved on from offensive line coach Chris Kuper and allowed defensive line coach Marcus Dixon‘s contract to expire. 
Head coach Kevin O’Connell has been working to fill the roles left vacant by these departures in recent weeks. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the team has brought in Frank Smith to fill Pettine’s former role as assistant head coach. Smith, a former offensive coordinator with the Dolphins, learned under former play-calling head coach Mike McDaniel and could bring some of his influence to the offense. He’s also expected to help in run game planning. To replace Kuper, O’Connell promoted Keith Carter to offensive line coach. He was the team’s assistant OL coach last year but has served as a full-time position coach in the past and will return to that role in Minnesota next year.
On defense, Gerald Alexander will replace Jones as defensive pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach. Alexander has bounced around since entering the NFL ranks of coaching in 2017, working DB coaching jobs with the Panthers, Dolphins, Steelers, and Raiders before landing in Minnesota. Flores worked with Alexander during his stops in Miami and Pittsburgh, so if he doesn’t get a head coaching position, Alexander will be reuniting with him in Minnesota. Replacing Dixon will be Ryan Nielsen, who will add defensive run game coordinator to Dixon’s original DL coach title. Nielsen has coordinator experience with the Saints, Falcons, and Jaguars and most recently served as a senior defensive assistant with the Bills.
Here are a few other coaching updates from around the NFC North:
- Last year, the Lions took play-calling duties away from offensive coordinator John Morton and ended up parting ways with him at the end of the season. Head coach Dan Campbell took over play calling for the remainder of the season, but he doesn’t intend to retain those duties in 2026. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, general manager Brad Holmes told the media that new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing will take the reins in calling plays for the offense in Detroit next season. Petzing will be running the show as the Lions look to get back on track after a disappointing 2025 campaign.
- Lastly, in Green Bay, Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reports that the Packers are expected to hire Sam Siefkes as linebackers coach. After a year at the collegiate level as defensive coordinator at Virginia Tech, Siefkes reunites with new Packers DC Jonathan Gannon. Siefkes previously served as Gannon’s linebackers coach in Arizona, where Gannon was head coach. Siefkes’ addition indicates that former linebackers coach Sean Duggan, who was reportedly expected to follow Jeff Hafley to Miami for a potential shot at a role as defensive coordinator, is officially departed from Green Bay.
Steelers To Hire Patrick Graham As DC, Add Jason Simmons To Staff
January 30: The Steelers have officially hired Graham, per a team announcement.
January 29: As expected, Patrick Graham is heading to Pittsburgh. The veteran staffer is indeed being hired by the Steelers as their new defensive coordinator and departing the Raiders in the process, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. 
Not long after it was learned Graham would interview for the position this week, signs pointed to a hire in this case. Graham was previously hired by Mike McCarthy as a linebackers coach for the Packers in 2018. McCarthy was brought in as Pittsburgh’s new head coach recently, and the two are reuniting for 2026.
Another ex-Packers staffer is joining the fold. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Thursday morning that Commanders defensive pass-game coordinator Jason Simmons would be joining Pittsburgh. According to Wilson, a deal has now been struck with Simmons (who also interviewed for the Steelers’ DC gig).
A “prominent” role on the defensive staff now awaits Simmons, Fowler adds. The 49-year-old worked in Green Bay from 2011-19, giving him considerable overlap with McCarthy. Plenty of other key staffing decisions remain at this point, but the Super Bowl-winning HC has largely begun by adding familiar faces.
For each of the past seven seasons, Graham has worked as an NFL defensive coordinator. He spent one year with the Dolphins and Giants before reuniting with former Patriots colleague Josh McDaniels in Vegas. Through the Raiders’ turbulence at the head coaching position since then, Graham remained in place as defensive play-caller for four seasons. It remains to be seen who the Raiders will hire as their new head coach, but Pete Carroll‘s replacement will need to add a D-coordinator shortly after arriving.
Graham helped lead Vegas to a ninth-place finish in scoring defense in 2023. The team posted middling (at best) numbers in many other categories during the rest of his tenure, with points allowed one of many issues for Vegas in 2025. The Steelers posted strong numbers during much of Teryl Austin‘s four-year defensive coordinator tenure. His final campaign in that role saw a regression in total and scoring defense, though.
Austin has been a strong candidate to depart Pittsburgh since Mike Tomlin stepped aside. Today’s news confirms Austin will be coaching elsewhere in 2026. The Steelers once again committed more financial resources to their defense than their offense this season; that can be expected to continue moving forward. Expectations will be high in Graham’s case given his experience and Pittsburgh’s roster construction.
The 47-year-old has found himself on the head coaching radar for several years. Graham has also been linked to a number of other defensive coordinator openings during recent hiring cycles. A change of scenery has long loomed as a distinct possibility in his case as a result, and one has now taken place. As the Steelers look to aim their drought for postseason victories, Graham and Simmons will each be counted on to handle key roles as members of McCarthy’s initial Pittsburgh staff.
Broncos Interview Brian Johnson For OC Job
The Broncos have interviewed Commanders assistant coach Brian Johnson for their offensive coordinator vacancy, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
Johnson, 38, currently holds the position of assistant head coach and offensive passing game coordinator in Washington. He was previously the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach (2021-2022), working closely with Jalen Hurts as he became a Pro Bowler. He then served as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator in 2023 and led his unit to the seventh-most yards and the eighth-most points in the league.
Though that was a strong performance, it still represented regression from Philadelphia’s third-ranked offense in 2022 under Shane Steichen, who was hired away by the Colts. The Eagles also only scored nine points in their wild card loss to the Buccaneers in the 2023 postseason. Nick Sirianni relieved Johnson of his duties and replaced him with Kellen Moore, whose offense finished with the exact same ranks as Johnson’s. Moore did find far more success in the playoffs in 2024, including 40- and 55-point showings in the NFC Championship and Super Bowl.
Johnson’s arrival in Washington certainly seemed to help Jayden Daniels get settled in the NFL. Though the Commanders leaned on their run game for much of the season, Daniels emerged as a pro-ready passer right away. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year and mounted four fourth-quarter comebacks and four game-winning drives, largely through the air.
Johnson’s success with Hurts and Daniels are likely a primary factor in the Broncos’ interest. Bo Nix did not show much progress in 2025 with similar statistics to his rookie campaign, so Denver may be interest in Johnson’s ability to kickstart Nix’s development.