Commanders may have won Laremy Tunsil trade even without playoff appearance

While the record didn't reflect the impact he had, Washington Commanders offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil made a massive impression on the team in his first season in the nation's capital.

Tunsil had nearly a decade of experience with the Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans before coming to the Commanders last offseason in a trade, which had a big impact on the offense, including quarterback Jayden Daniels.

"Man, I'm happy that we traded for him. So man, he's a pro's pro, man. He obviously didn't give up a lot on that blind side and that's kind of the side that you want to protect as a quarterback because you can't really see. So man, I love LT and I love what he stands for. We'll get it rolling next year," Daniels said via WUSA9.

Washington Commanders offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil on the field during a game against the Atlanta Falcons. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Tunsil has fans in Commanders clubhouse

The Commanders may have traded their second-round pick this year to get Tunsil, and that selection is going to be in the top 40, but the Commanders still may have gotten the better end of the trade, even though they are not in the playoffs and the Texans are.

The Commanders also brought in Laremy Tunsil to be a mentor for first-round pick Josh Conerly Jr. The two should be training together this offseason to help get the offensive line in a better place.

"Yeah, for sure. I'm going to say we'll spend a lot of time together," Conerly said via WUSA9.

If Tunsil can continue to play at the high level he's been at, and the other players along the offensive line can follow suit, the unit should be improving in 2026. That could be enough to get the Commanders back into the postseason conversation if they stay healthy, which was arguably the biggest problem the team faced this season.

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