Commanders CB Mike Sainristil Reflects on Rookie Season So Far

Washington Commanders rookie cornerback Mike Sainristil was among the names mentioned when draft analysts and experts discussed their favorite players from the 2024 crop of newly arriving NFL players.

Almost immediately after he was selected by Commanders general manager Adam Peters, Sainristil became a fan-favorite among his rookie teammates bested only perhaps by quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Every step of the way from rookie camp to Week 13 of the NFL season Sainristil's impact on Washington has only grown and the fanfare he's drawn has risen right along with it. It's been a fun journey for the rookie and one that hasn't felt like the prolonged experience some first-year players go through.

Washington Commanders cornerback Mike Sainristil. — Nov 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Commanders cornerback Mike Sainristil (0) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

"It's gone very fast, but I think part of that is because we're having a lot of fun here," Sainrisitl said of his rookie season while talking with Rich Eisen on The Rich Eisen Show during the bye week. "Everything from a staff standpoint to player standpoint, everybody in the building is just a cohesive unit. Everybody appreciates each other. Everyone has a genuine care for each other, and it makes the work environment so much easier to be a part of."

Sainristil told Eisen his situation with the Commanders has turned out to be a best-case scenario, something not many people would have said about the troubled franchise before this season.

To be fair, however, Sainristil and his rookie teammates are part of that turnaround that has made Washington a choice destination with reports surfacing near the NFL trade deadline that some veterans were asking their agents to get them traded to the franchise.

A lot of that credit also goes to Peters for the way he constructed the roster while also ensuring the team will have close to $100 million in salary cap space in 2025. Credit for the turnaround also goes to head coach Dan Quinn, a prime candidate to be named the NFL's Head Coach of the Year for 2024.

"He is phenomenal," Sainristil said of Quinn. "He's all about ball, all about figuring out ways to get guys better, and he's a true competitor. The way he talks, his passion behind what he does, there's two coaches that I'll always say I'll forever want to play for coach Harbaugh and coach Quinn. I just love how they're both wired."

They say crap rolls downhill, and for the Commanders it rolled fast and heavy for years. Good vibes and confidence roll downhill too, and now for the first time in a long time, heaps of that is making its way down to the roster and into the fan base.

All of it leading to the most fun the DMV has had watching NFL football in a long time with postseason play well within reach of a team that won just four games one year ago.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.

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