Commanders Daily: Washington’s High-Priced Defense and the Confidence in Mike Sainristil

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Welcome to today's Commanders Daily, your number one place for Burgundy and Gold news links. Below, we’ve rounded up the top stories and essential Commanders news updates from around the web. Simply tap or click any headline to open the full article in a new tab and dive deeper into the latest from Washington.

Over the weekend, several articles were published that were worth mentioning. San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk went on a social media rant, mentioning the Commanders inadvertently. We looked at whether the national media were already writing off the Commanders as well as the Commanders rookies that will have the biggest impact in 2026. We also continued with our Commanders Roster Rankings, and so far, we've got Jordan Magee at 25, Dyami Brown at 24, and Antonio Williams at 23. That countdown will continue later today!

Commanders have one of the NFL's most expensive defenses in 2026

How significant were Washington's investments in its defense this offseason? According to Warren Sharp, the Commanders have the sixth-most expensive defense in 2026 at $165.8 million.

Commanders have confidence in Mike Sainristil

A name that is not talked about a lot: #Commanders DE Dorance Armstrong

Through 7 weeks in 2025, Armstrong led the NFL in pressures and posted a 15.4% pressure rate. Armstrong generated 22 total pressures including 5.5 sacks.

He suffered a torn ACL vs the Cowboys. pic.twitter.com/dnx5hKQUzc
— brandon (@JayDanielsMVP) June 6, 2026

Jayden Daniels gets fresh fuel that could ignite Commanders revenge tour

Commanders QB Jayden Daniels is looking to regain his throne among the 2024 NFL Draft class.

Ranking the NFL’s 32 Backup QBs of 2026: Jameis Winston Cracks the Top Five

18. Marcus Mariota, Washington Commanders
Similar to the setup in Baltimore with Jackson and Huntley, the Commanders also prefer the benefits that come from having a starter and a backup with similar skill sets. While Mariota isn’t as fast as he once was, he still has enough mobility to run a playbook tailor-made for Jayden Daniels.

But Mariota was asked to play too much last season and delivered erratic performances in his eight starts while filling in for the injured Daniels. In 11 seasons, the 2015 No. 2 pick has made 82 career starts with a 36–46 record.

What is Daron Payne's future with the Commanders?

It's clear the Commanders like Payne. They could've traded him in either of the last two offseasons. He has the highest cap number ($27.5 million) in 2026, yet Washington was content to let Payne play on that deal. Perhaps Peters wants to see an extra-motivated Payne this season. Even if he has a big year, it doesn't mean Washington will want to pursue another long-term deal with Payne, given he'll be 30 in 2027.

7 Washington Commanders players already feeling the heat at OTAs

The Commanders could be a prime bounce-back candidate, but they could just as easily fall back into mediocrity if everything doesn't come together.

That will have big consequences. The Commanders need to hit the ground running, and every player is starting with a clean slate. It's a constant evaluation, but some are already starting to showcase what they could bring to the field when Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles rolls around.

Sonny Styles All-22 Film: Ohio State vs Texas 2025 pic.twitter.com/onNdGe4ssp
— Philip Hughes (@NFLFanzone) June 5, 2026

Commanders OC David Blough on how his offense will help Jayden Daniels

"I think, you know, just trying to open his eyes maybe under center to some of the play action concepts and different things we want to stretch, you know, stretch people horizontally and vertically, and you know, it's, we're not creating essentially new concepts," David Blough said.

"Just asking them to do different things, and I think at the end of the day, it's about us trying to put our best players in positions to be successful. And, you know, we'll evaluate that throughout the spring and in the training camp to do that."

Washington Commanders UDFA Spotlight: TE Quentin Moore

Quentin Moore is at his best as a gap-scheme blocker, where he can leverage his size and length. He fits into first contact with a thud to stop defender momentum and uses his power to wash them out of the play. He has good hand usage to take control and uses his long arms to dictate reps. As a move blocker, Moore is best when combo-ing up to the 2nd level. He works to backers with good timing and has the frame to seal them off when engaged. Once he is able to control a smaller defender, he is a nasty finisher who will drive targets into the dirt. Moore is also a capable pass protector with the anchor strength and wingspan to hold his own versus OLB on the edge.

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