Offensive Line Injuries Wreak Havoc on Commanders, Saints
As teams continue training camp in preparation of the first week of preseason games next week, the key is trying to stay healthy. Unfortunately, trying to stay healthy and actually pulling that off are two vastly different situations. Some teams are finding that out in a painful fashion as starters around the league have gone down, some for the year.
One position where depth is always of concern around the league is on the offensive line. There simply aren’t enough talented players to go around, much less to replace when a stalwart goes down. It hampers pass protection. Injuries derail run blocking schemes. Once promising offenses stumble and fail to reach their envisioned lofty heights.
There were a pair of major injuries that occurred over the weekend, affecting a pair of teams. Let’s take a look at those situations.
Saints Suffer Blow With Radunz Injury
New Orleans comes in off a disappointing 2025 campaign but has higher hopes this year. With Tyler Shough back for his second year, rookie Jordyn Tyson opposite Chris Olave at the receiver spots and running back Travis Etienne Jr. flanking Alvin Kamara. However, injuries are already taking a toll on the team. Defensive tackle Bryan Bresee suffered a torn ACL last week and was lost for the season. This weekend, the other side of the ball took a hit as well.
Coach Kellen Moore said guard Dillon Radunz suffered a knee injury in Saturday’s practice. Further imaging showed that he sustained a torn ACL and is done for the season. That’s a blow for New Orleans as Radunz started 10 games for the Saints last season. While he likely wasn’t a starter this season barring injury to either left guard David Edwards or right guard Cesar Ruiz, taking a veteran depth piece out of the mix hurts. As it stands, undrafted free agent Easton Kilty and fourth-round pick Jeremiah Wright are the top backups at those spots. It remains to be seen if the Saints will try to bolster their offensive line depth following cutdown days later in the preseason.
Commanders Have to Replace Anchor on Offensive Line
Similar to New Orleans, Washington comes off a disappointing 5-12 campaign as injuries piled up on both sides of the ball. After acquiring Stefon Diggs earlier this week to patch a hole in the receiver corps, the Commanders hoped to take a step forward in 2026. Instead, before playing their first preseason game, they have a massive hole to patch. It’s even more glaring given the litany of injury woes quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered last season.
Starting left tackle Laremy Tunsil suffered a torn triceps that takes him out of the mix for a good chunk of the 2026 campaign. That’s a massive blow for the Commanders, who had signed Tunsil to a two-year extension in the offseason. In addition, he became the first offensive lineman to sign a deal worth in excess of $30 million a year. One simply doesn’t replace a guy like Tunsil. As it stands, Brandon Coleman, who started a couple games last season when Tunsil was injured, takes over the starting left tackle spot. Andrew Wylie backs him up for the time being. We’ll see if Tunsil makes it back at some point during the 2026 season or not.
With preseason play ramping up this week, there may be more injuries. We’ll be watching to see what unfolds.
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Offensive Line Injuries Wreak Havoc on Commanders, Saints
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