The Good and Not So Good From Commanders’ Third Training Camp Practice

Treylon Burks returned, Jake Moody gained ground in the kicking competition and Washington’s defense continued its strong start Saturday.

Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) passes the ball during a training camp drill at BigBear.ai Performance Center at Commanders Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the Washington Commanders having a closed-session walkthrough on Friday, Saturday marked the third day of nonpadded training camp practice. It was also the first day for fans as the NFL's Back Together Saturday program was in full effect. Day 3 brought encouraging news from Treylon Burks, featured our first movement in the kicking competition, and saw the defense continue to create problems for the offense. Let's take a look at what went well and what did not during Saturday's session.

The Good

The best news of the day came from seeing Burks back on the field after missing Thursday's session with a sore foot. At this point in his career, after all the injury issues, with him getting a second shot at his NFL career, that was literally the last thing he wanted to happen on any day of camp. He looked good and appeared comfortable running routes and connecting with Jayden Daniels during third-down work. Not only is it good for him personally to be back on the field, but if he wants to stay involved in the Commanders' WR2 battle, being on the field to keep his momentum going is imperative.

Along with Burks, Daniels connected with Jaylin Lane a few times during practice as well. Currently, there is a sizable logjam at receiver where Burks and Lane both are competing for defined roles on the roster behind Terry McLaurin in the pecking order, meaning every rep is important.

Another day of work 🫡@JayD__5 x @j_lane_2 pic.twitter.com/nWMu7mgppt

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) August 1, 2026

The day also featured two strong outside runs by running back Jeremy McNichols. McNichols continues to show everyone in attendance why he remains a difficult player to remove from the running back room despite the younger, flashier options around him. His reliability as a runner, pass-protector, and third-down option has him in line for another roster spot this fall.

The kicking competition moved in a slightly different direction Saturday. Jake Moody made all eight of his kicks, while Drew Stevens finished 7-for-8. Moody now has two consecutive practices without a miss after going 6-for-6 Thursday.

Qwuantrezz Knight was able to shine some light on his name after making the unit's biggest takeaway by intercepting rookie QB Athan Kaliakmanis. Making splash plays from the bottom of the roster is a good way to improve his special teams or practice squad chances. Will Harris, Rasul Douglas, and Ahkello Witherspoon all were playing close to the ball and had pass breakups during the session.

After practice, several offensive linemen took turns snapping to QBs Sam Hartman and Marcus Mariota. Among them were Trent Scott, Brandon Coleman, and Tyler Cooper.

Brandon Coleman on playing center ... snapped a little at TCU but hasn't really done it before "gotta be ready if I get thrown in the fire" https://t.co/n1YnkOiB0n pic.twitter.com/p2HYEqgh7q

— Mitchell Tischler (@Mitch_Tischler) August 1, 2026

The Not So Good

Anytime you come away from a session thinking one side of the ball did well, it means the other side did not. In this situation, the offense still finds itself behind through three full unpadded practices. On Saturday, Washington's defensive backs were able to repeatedly challenge receivers at the catch point, which prevented the offense from establishing any type of consistent rhythm. It's common for a defense to start camp ahead of offenses, even when both units are installing new systems. That's not to say the offense's struggles are not worth paying attention to.

Kaliakmanis throwing another interception after Malik Spencer picked him off Thursday was a low point. Consecutive practices with interceptions are not a very promising sign for a seventh-round quarterback competing with Sam Hartman for developmental reps on the practice squad. Rookie WR Antonio Williams also had a drop that could serve as a small missed opportunity in a crowded receiver competition.

Dan Quinn said before practice that Nick Allegretti would miss approximately one week with his calf injury and TE John Bates would miss multiple weeks with a hamstring strain.

Burks' return from a sore foot and Moody's perfect day kicking were the day's biggest positives on the football field. Washington's offense still has plenty of work to do against a defense that has pretty much controlled things this week. Monday will be the team's first padded practice and the next meaningful evaluation point, especially for the o-line, running backs, and other players who compete at or near the line of scrimmage.

Some receiver drills from today. pic.twitter.com/u14xt1YRNF

— Grant Paulsen (@GrantPaulsen) August 1, 2026

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