Vernon Davis Explains How Commanders Can Unlock Untapped Weapons on Offense

Three games into the David Blough era, the Washington Commanders finally broke through last weekend with a 33-31 victory over the visiting Seattle Seahawks. Blough's offense was powered by Marcus Mariota's three touchdown passes, but one element that has been lacking this year continued its no-show, as the tight end room only contributed two catches for 11 yards: John Bates had one for nine; Colson Yankoff had the other for two yards, while Ben Sinnott had none. In fact, through three games, the room has collectively accounted for eight catches for 60 yards and zero touchdowns.

Blough was asked about getting the tight ends more involved Thursday in London. "Yeah, I think from a broad stroke, we'd love them to be more involved in the passing game, but those guys do so much," Blough said. "They're as versatile as any position on the field. And John does different things than Ben does, and Chig does different things than Yank does. And those guys really at different points have kind of had their moments, and similar to the running back room, we'll certainly try to continue to use them to their strengths."

Recently, we had the opportunity to chat with former Washington Redskins tight end Vernon Davis about a variety of things, including the tight end position. We asked Davis directly about Washington having Chig Okonkwo, Bates, Sinnott, and Yankoff with different skill sets rather than asking one tight end to do everything. "I think it’s huge. You don’t have to have one guy trying to do everything," Vernon said. "You can have a guy who’s really good at blocking, another guy who can go make plays in the passing game, and guys who can do a little bit of both. That gives your offense a lot of flexibility and makes it harder for the defense to know what’s coming. When you have a tight end room like that, everybody has a role, and you can play to each guy’s strengths." Both Davis and Blough are working from the same central idea: role diversity creates uncertainty for a defense.

Chig Okonkwo Could Change the Equation

Sep 13, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Commanders tight end Chig Okonkwo (85) celebrates after getting a first down against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The piece that should bring the entire puzzle together is Okonkwo, who Washington openly discussed getting into space and allowing to become more of an offensive weapon. The problem, of course, has been availability. Okonkwo himself said in the offseason he couldn't wait to finally be "unleashed." Then came the hamstring injury after two catches for 16 yards against Philadelphia, and we haven't seen him on the field since. This could be the week that changes, as he made the trip to London and has been limited in practice this week, which is an upgrade over the DNP that has accompanied his name for the last two weeks. Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said Friday that Okonkwo will play Sunday.

We asked Vernon how an offense should use a tight end with Okonkwo's speed and YAC ability. "You’ve just got to find ways to get him in space," Davis said. "Move him around, put him in the slot, motion him, line him up outside—make the defense figure out who’s going to cover him. Once he catches the ball, just let him do what he does. Get it in his hands and let him make a play."

Ben Sinnott’s Usage Tells a Different Story

The interesting part of the equation is that Sinnott has now played 100 offensive snaps through three games, the most among Commanders tight ends, but only has one catch for six yards. He's not buried on the bench; in fact, Washington is using him more than anyone else without Okonkwo on the field; the receiving element simply hasn't materialized.

Vernon went on to explain why evaluating Sinnott requires more than the receiving line. "It takes time because you’re really learning two positions at once," Davis said. "You’ve got to learn how to block, how to read defenses, how to run routes, and understand the timing with your quarterback. It’s a lot."

"For me, you know a young tight end is putting it together when the game starts slowing down for him," Davis said. "He’s not thinking about every little thing anymore—he’s just playing. He knows his assignment, he’s confident, and he starts making plays without having to think so much. That’s when you know he’s starting to get it."

After three games, Sinnott's snap count says Washington trusts him enough to put him on the field. His receiving line suggests the offense hasn't found—or hasn't prioritized another level of involvement. In fact, the snap counts across the board show Washington's committed to the position: Sinnott 100 snaps, Bates 93, Yankoff 55, and Okonkwo 39. Against Seattle specifically, Washington had Bates, Sinnott, and Yankoff all playing substantial offensive roles while Okonkwo was out. Blough's current comment reinforces the point: the players aren't interchangeable, and Washington is looking for situations that suit each one.

Davis stresses that catches aren't the entire measurement: "When you put two tight ends out there, the defense has to think a little more. They’ve got to figure out what you’re doing—are you blocking, are you releasing, are you going in motion? You’re making them make a decision before the ball is even snapped."

He went on, "And that’s what makes it tough. We don’t even have to get the ball to have an impact. If we’re blocking, we can open up the run game," Davis said. "If the defense is worried about us catching the ball, that can open things up for the receivers. As a tight end, you want the defense to have to account for you every single play. Even if you don’t touch the ball, you can still change the play."

Vernon's points are all valid and explain why the room can have value before the catches come; that, of course, doesn't eliminate the need for those catches eventually. Blough has stressed he wants the group more involved, and he should, as there is still no reason for Washington's tight end room to have zero touchdowns and only 60 yards receiving through three weeks. Sinnott wasn't drafted in the second round to be a blocking tight end, and Washington didn't sign Okonkwo to be a formation decoy. These guys were brought in to help the offense move the sticks and put points on the board.

If Okonkwo is able to return against Indianapolis, we may finally get a better idea of what this room is supposed to look like. Washington has already shown it trusts the group enough to keep putting them on the field, and both Davis and Blough see the value in using each player differently. At some point, though, that has to lead to more than snaps and blocking assignments. Blough says he wants the tight ends more involved in the passing game. Sunday would be a good place to start.

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#Commanders TE Ben Sinnott to @JPFinlayNBCS on the new offense:

“I love it. I think this one really fits my play style, the kind of player I am”#RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/zVeFVbh39C
— Full Command (@FullCommandShow) June 26, 2026

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