Washington Preseason Opener Puts Roster Battles Under the Lights — Commanders Daily

Washington’s preseason opener against Miami shifts roster evaluation from practice to live game situations. Plus, Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis is expected to play Friday night.

Jul 29, 2026; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Commanders offensive players participate in an agility drill on day one of training camp at the BigBear.ai Performance Center at Commanders Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Washington Commanders transition from training camp to game speed in their preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins at Northwest Stadium. | Philip Hughes | HTTR4LIFE LLC

We have finally reached the point of training camp where we can break away from building roster evaluations primarily based on practice sessions and shift to real-time game situations. For the Washington Commanders, that means playing host to the Miami Dolphins Friday night at Northwest Stadium.

Washington already had the opportunity to test their new schemes on both sides of the ball at joint practice on Wednesday, a morning the Commanders spent dominating the Dolphins. Now the test will shift to situational football mode, where the team can learn more about how well this group does under pressure.

This particular game means more for the players involved in Washington’s unresolved roster and depth-chart battles that have been going on for the past couple of weeks. The team has serious competition at running back, receiver, and tight end, just to name a few offensive spots. They need the work to get through the difficult task of getting down to a 53-man roster in a few weeks. Standing out in practice gets you the shot on gameday; this Friday will be their opportunity to show that those flashes translate into their coach's vision once the game is at full speed.

While nobody is winning or losing a roster spot solely because of one preseason opener, bubble players can certainly change the direction of their camp with a strong or poor showing.

Friday's game will also begin a compressed evaluation period, during which the team will have to reduce the roster size from 91 to 53, leaving them with only two more games after Miami to figure things out. Now it's time to see if the camp storylines survive the lights.

long ball to Burks ✊@SeatGeek | #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/Hlb14ySbYg

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) August 12, 2026

Malik Willis Expected to Get Work Against Washington

Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley was asked Wednesday whether he intended to play starting quarterback Malik Willis on Friday; he was direct with his response. "I am, yeah. But like you said, things can change."

Willis already witnessed Washington’s pressure firsthand during Wednesday’s joint practice session, when the Commanders repeatedly disrupted Miami’s offense. Friday could create different matchups, as players fighting for roster positions and situational roles take center stage, while many veterans look on. With Miami playing its starting quarterback, Washington's hungrier section of the roster will get an opportunity to make its case against legitimate NFL competition.

Sign up for our free newsletter and follow the Burgundy & Gold on Facebook and the Commanders on SI on X for the latest news. You can also subscribe to our Facebook Messenger News Channel, which is the fastest and easiest way to actually see our articles while on any Meta product.