Commanders urged to sign former Lion to fill huge Laremy Tunsil hole

The Washington Commanders got some bad injury news this summer. Star left tackle Laremy Tunsil suffered a season-ending injury, and it's almost impossible to replace a star tackle.

The Commanders have some internal options. Brandon Coleman has experience as the starting left tackle, with mixed results. Andrew Wylie has also played some tackle, but it’s hard to get excited about either of those options. Plus, inserting one of those players as the starter would make the depth even more shallow. Coleman was initially in line to start at left guard.

As a result, the team should at least explore the free agent market. If they do decide to go that route, there’s a nice option who has plenty of experience and familiarity with offensive coordinator David Blough.

Taylor Decker is the most notable free agent tackle remaining. Decker was cut by the Detroit Lions this offseason as the veteran became too expensive, and the two sides were unable to rework his contract.

Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report recently identified some landing spots for the top remaining free agents. Naturally, Knox listed the Commanders as one of the best spots for Decker.

“While Decker’s experience should be valued—he’s started all 140 games in which he has appeared—his age and recent performance should leave him open to a modest, incentive-laden deal. He was graded 41st among offensive tackles by Pro Football Focus last season,” Knox explained.

2025 definitely wasn’t Decker’s best season, as Knox pointed out, but he made the Pro Bowl as recently as 2024. Decker has traditionally graded out better as a pass blocker than as a run blocker, and he only allowed two sacks in 2025.

“Decker would be a sensible option for the Washington Commanders, who lost left tackle Laremy Tunsil to a torn triceps—though Washington plans to replace Tunsil with an in-house option, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler," Knox added.

As Knox mentioned, the Commanders seem comfortable rolling with an internal option. The thing is, Decker’s familiarity with David Blough could convince the team to pull the trigger. Decker and Blough were teammates on the Lions from 2019-2021 and in 2023.

Adding Decker on a one-year deal would give the team more flexibility and a higher floor. Even at Decker’s worst, he’s been a capable starter. If the Commanders rebound in 2026, they will have to keep Jayden Daniels healthy, so the line needs to be as good as it can be.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders urged to sign former Lion to fill huge Laremy Tunsil hole