Who Replaces Laremy Tunsil? Commanders’ Left Tackle Options After Major Injury

News of Laremy Tunsil's torn triceps instantly changed the conversation surrounding Washington's offensive line, turning what was a depth issue into a much deeper starting lineup dilemma. Now, with the veteran left tackle missing a significant portion of the season, there is a big question that needs to be addressed: who will protect Jayden Daniels’ blind side while Tunsil is unavailable? The list of possibilities could be lengthy, but that does not mean they are the right answer.

Here’s the video of the Tunsil injury pic.twitter.com/cVus3xYMnU
— D... (@pomyexpress21) August 8, 2026

Andrew Wylie Gets the First Opportunity

Andrew Wylie is the place to start because he is the player the team instantly put on the field after Tunsil's injury. Wylie is an experienced NFL lineman who has played at both tackle positions, but does his best work from the right guard spot. The team has used him at left tackle at practice when Tunsil was unavailable, but that does not mean they view him as a long-term solution.

Brandon Coleman Could Move Back Outside

Brandon Coleman is a natural thought here, as he has NFL experience at the position as the player that was there before the team traded for Tunsil. Coleman was shifted inside after Tunsil was acquired and is now locked in a roster battle with Chris Paul for the starting left guard spot. Moving him back outside would potentially remove one of the team's primary choices at left guard.

Laremy Tunsil replacement options — 111th overall Brandon Coleman. Interesting one here because I see Coleman as being a clear-cut better left tackle than guard but is without a path to play there. Leaves a little bit of a 'square peg round hole' fit for him. I remain bullish on the upside long-term. | Brandon Thorn

Josh Conerly Jr. Creates Another Possibility

Conerly is one of the most intriguing options Washington has because he became Washington’s starting right tackle after being drafted as an accomplished left tackle at the University of Oregon. His college experience makes moving him to the left side something to consider, rather than automatically thinking it is easy for an NFL player to make that change. Moving Conerly from right tackle would fix one problem while instantly creating another at the position he is shifting away from.

Nicholas Petit-Frere Arrived at an Interesting Time

The team had unbelievable timing by signing Petit-Frere several hours before Tunsil went down with the injury. Petit-Frere has 28 starts across 34 games, but has played primarily at right tackle. Petit-Frere has left-side experience from his time at Ohio State, where he started 12 games at left tackle in 2021. While Petit-Frere may have been an option if he had been around all of camp, since he has not, he will find himself a week behind in a complicated setup.

Washington Does Not Have to Choose Just One Solution

One solution is to not pick one solution. Washington could choose to move multiple pieces rather than simply replacing Tunsil with one backup. Wylie, Coleman, and Conerly are all prime examples of versatile linemen who can move around at different spots. Then, of course, there is always the possibility that none of these players are what they are looking for, and Adam Peters could still look outside, beyond the doors at Ashburn.

Washington now needs to see which player — or which reshuffled five-man combination — gives Daniels the most dependable protection without weakening the rest of the line. Wylie may have gotten the first opportunity Saturday, but the real competition to replace Tunsil is only beginning.

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