Adam Schefter Doesn’t Expect Laremy Tunsil Back This Season After Triceps Tear
Schefter Isn’t Betting on a Tunsil Return in 2026
Adam Schefter isn’t in the business of sugarcoating injury news, and he didn’t start with Laremy Tunsil. Appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show” Monday, the ESPN insider said he’d be stunned if the Commanders’ left tackle plays a single snap this season.
“Laremy Tunsil, for starters, I will be surprised if Laremy Tunsil plays this year,” Schefter said. “It’s a serious injury, and it’s gonna take a long period of time for him to come back from that… They certainly can’t count on him for the regular season. It’s a big blow.”
"I will be surprised if Laremy Tunsil plays this season..
It's a serious injury and it's gonna take a long period of time for him to come back" ~ @AdamSchefter #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/Zruw9gqpGd
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 10, 2026
Tunsil tore his left triceps during a one-on-one pass-rush drill against Odafe Oweh at Saturday’s practice, according to ESPN. Oweh drove into Tunsil’s upper body on the rep, and Tunsil doubled over holding his side before heading to the medical tent. Commanders coach Dan Quinn confirmed Monday that surgery is coming, telling reporters, “It’s always tough to talk about a player missing time, especially a great player like LT,” per ESPN.
Why the Recovery Window Backs Up Schefter’s Take
This is where Schefter’s pessimism actually lines up with the medical reality rather than just insider instinct. A surgically repaired triceps tear typically carries a four-to-seven-month recovery window, per ESPN. Tunsil got hurt in the first week of August. Run the clock forward from a mid-to-late August surgery date and the low end of that window doesn’t clear until December, with the high end stretching into February — well past the Commanders’ regular season no matter how their schedule shakes out.
That’s the analytical case for why “shocked if he plays this year” isn’t just a hot take from Schefter — it’s closer to arithmetic. Quinn himself hasn’t ruled out a return, saying the team hasn’t closed the door on Tunsil playing before the season ends, but even his own framing leans on the phrase “post-surgery” for any real clarity on timeline.
What This Does to Washington’s Offensive Line
Brandon Coleman steps in at left tackle immediately, a role he’s played before. Coleman opened last season at left guard after Washington acquired Tunsil, got benched in Week 3, then moved back to left tackle late in the year when Tunsil was banged up. He also started at left tackle during the Commanders’ 2024 NFC Championship run before Tunsil arrived, so this isn’t uncharted territory for him — it’s a return to a spot he’s already held under playoff pressure.
Here’s my read: the bigger issue isn’t Coleman’s readiness, it’s what a compromised blindside does to Jayden Daniels’ rhythm. Daniels missed 10 games last season dealing with knee, hamstring and elbow issues, and pressure off the edge was a factor in some of that. Losing Tunsil doesn’t just cost Washington its best tackle — it strips away the exact kind of protection that kept Daniels upright as a rookie. If Coleman struggles in pass sets early, don’t be surprised if Washington starts scheming more max-protect looks and quicker-developing concepts to compensate, the same way most offenses adjust when the blindside gets shaky.
Foster Sarrell is next in line behind Coleman, with Trent Scott and Nicholas Petit-Frere also in the mix for depth snaps during camp, per ClutchPoints.
The Contract Timing Makes This Sting More
Washington signed Tunsil to a two-year, $60.2 million extension in March, making him the first offensive lineman in NFL history to average over $30 million annually. Five months later, he’s facing surgery before he’s played a single snap on the new deal. That’s not a cap disaster in the immediate sense — the money is already guaranteed structure regardless of games played — but it’s a rough return on investment for a signing meant to lock down Daniels’ blindside for the foreseeable future.
The Commanders don’t sound interested in searching outside the building for a replacement. For now, this is Coleman’s job to keep, and Washington’s margin for error on the offensive line just got a lot smaller heading into a season where they’re trying to bounce back from a 5-12 collapse a year after reaching the NFC title game.
