Commanders Veteran Guards 'Continue to Work' Before Season Opener
The Washington Commanders are set to debut a pair of new guards this season, but both of them have been around the block before.
Andrew Norwell and Trai Turner signed with the Commanders in free agency and are expected to be the team's starting guards. This isn't the first time the pair have had their career's paths cross.
Head coach Ron Rivera helped draft Turner in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft while he was with the Carolina Panthers. Later that weekend, Norwell joined the team as an undrafted free agent.
Both players found success in Carolina. Turner made five Pro Bowls with the Panthers, while Norwell was named an All-Pro in 2017. Eventually, Norwell left in free agency to join the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the two find themselves as teammates once again.
The chemistry is down, the trust is there with Rivera, so there isn't much that needs to be built. However, both players were sidelined for part of training camp due to injury. Luckily for the Commanders, Rivera expects both of them to be back for next Sunday's season opener against the Jaguars.
“I think just continue to work, continue to get your conditioning in more so than anything else," Rivera said. "It's really just about the reps now just to get the conditioning aspect of it now.”
Norwell and Turner will hope to improve their conditioning and reps in the days leading up to their Commanders debuts.
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