Depth is on the way to the Washington Commanders’ offensive line. The Commanders are set to sign former Pro Bowl left tackle D.J. Humphries to a one-year contract, according to ESPN, which bolsters a unit that recently lost its greatest asset, Laremy Tunsil, to a torn triceps. Tunsil is expected to miss most of the 2026 season.
Humphries is available to the Commanders as a free agent. It has been half a decade since Humphries was considered one of the best tackles in football, and in the four years since his Pro Bowl selection, he played more than eight games just once.
Unable to recreate the high level of production that came in his stellar 2021 campaign, Humphries is now set to play for his fourth team in the last four years. He played two games with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024 and was most recently a member of the Los Angeles Rams, for whom he suited up in eight games last year.
Tunsil, meanwhile, suffered his torn triceps during practice on Aug. 8 while attempting to block a bull rush from edge rusher Odafe Oweh. He required surgery for the injury and carries the risk of missing the entire campaign. His absence heightened the need for an additional body in the trenches, hence the signing of Humphries.
Tunsil’s injury was ill-timed, considering the Commanders had just made him the highest-paid left tackle in the NFL. His two-year, $60.2 million extension made him the first player at his position to earn an average of $30 million annually. It was the second time in his career that he reset the left tackle market.
Projecting D.J. Humphries’ impact in Washington
While he was at one point a premier left tackle, Humphries joins the Commanders as a depth piece rather than a viable starter. His regression over the last four years puts him in line for a second- or third-team role on his new team.
Coach Dan Quinn announced after Tunsil’s injury that Brandon Coleman will start at left tackle so long as Tunsil is unavailable, and Josh Conerly Jr. is locked into the No. 2 job on the right side. Quinn also said the Commanders were not planning to look outside the organization for help, so while that ultimately changed, it is clear that team leadership is content with Coleman leading the charge as long as needed.
Humphries will provide experience in the locker room and create competition with second-teamer Andrew Wylie for the backup role.
