Dan Quinn Admits Washington Still Has to ‘Figure Out’ Center — Commanders Daily

Washington has spent all of training camp searching for a starting center, and Dan Quinn admits the answer still has not emerged. With Week 1 approaching, the Commanders may soon need outside help to solve the position.

Aug 22, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn on the sidelines against the Detroit Lions in the second quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Following the preseason loss to the Lions, head coach Dan Quinn admitted the Washington Commanders are still searching for a starting center. | Philip Hughes | HTTR4LIFE LLC

The Washington Commanders have spent their entire training camp trying to establish a starting center, only for head coach Dan Quinn to finally acknowledge after Saturday's preseason game that they still don't have an answer. Julian Good-Jones started against Detroit with Nick Allegretti still unavailable, and nearly gave up a sack on his first snap. Rookie Matt Gulbin also received snaps in the two rotating series with its available options. Quinn's wording was different than before on this subject, as he has spent weeks calling it a competition, but now it's something they need to "figure out."

Quinn praised several aspects of the line before getting to the central conversation that won't go away. "Yeah, there's a lot of groups that went in and out. And so, the first crew of Conerly and Cosmi, I thought I liked how they're playing together, their communication," said Quinn. "And Sam's really having a good camp. He's maybe playing the best that I've seen him play in the couple, three years. His technique, he's on it. I like what I'm seeing on the outside at left tackle. So, we got work to do to figure out where we want to get to at center."

Every #Commanders C Julian Good-Jones snap in Preseason Week 2

He was not the only offensive lineman who disappointed in this game, but nonetheless, sending him out to face Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter in Week 1 is offensive suicide#RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/MyLxoHJOw1

— Full Command (@FullCommandShow) August 23, 2026

Protection Breakdowns and Preseason Struggles

Good-Jones has by far received the largest opportunity created by Allegretti's injury, but the last two games in preseason have done very little to establish anything from him. While Good-Jones' Pro Football Focus grades slightly improved from a blocking standpoint Saturday against the Lions over where he was against Miami, he committed two penalties, which made his overall grade drop drastically. His PFF numbers from the preseason are listed below. Quinn went on to say that there was "a lot to be desired" from the running game overall against Detroit, another shot at the offensive line. While he can't be blamed for every problem, he touches the ball on every play and sits in the center of both the protection communication and an interior run game that has struggled to establish anything consistent.

Julian Good-Jones PFF Grades | Pro Football Focus

This is a problem the team has had since they cut veteran center Tyler Biadasz this past offseason. Heading into camp, they were extremely confident in Nick Allegretti's ability to transition to a position he has played periodically throughout his career, despite making only two NFL starts there in seven seasons. Allegretti has, of course, been dealing with a calf issue, and renewed tightness after his return kept him out of the Detroit game. That leaves the team choosing between a veteran still learning the position and recovering from injury, a clearly in-over-his-head Good-Jones, and sixth-round draft pick Matt Gulbin.

The calendar is becoming the team's biggest opponent with just one preseason game remaining before roster cuts and Week 1 preparations begin. Wednesday's joint practice is likely the most valuable remaining evaluation because it will allow Washington to test its center options one more time against an unfamiliar defensive front. Whoever wins the competition still has to work with Jayden Daniels to establish the snap, protection calls, and communication consistency the team will need not only in Philadelphia, but for the entire season.

This is no longer a situation where Washington is waiting for somebody to separate from the rest of the pack — Washington is currently running out of opportunities for any separation to happen organically. From this position, the overall plan is starting to look like it will need GM Adam Peters' help in finding a capable player among the roster cuts coming in the next week.

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