Getting better around Jayden Daniels starts up front, a fact not lost on the Washington Commanders, who are trading four picks, two in the 2025 NFL draft and as many for 2026, to the Houston Texans for Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil.
Terms of the deal were reported by ESPN’s John Keim on Monday, March 10. He revealed “Washington receives LT Laremy Tunsil AND a fourth-round pick this year from Houston. The Commanders send to the Texans: two picks in 2026 (second and fourth rounds) and two in 2025 (third and seventh rounds).”
It’s a blockbuster deal, but a price worth paying to protect the prized asset of the franchise. Daniels was named Offensive Rookie of the Year after transforming the Commanders from a 4-13 team to one competing in the NFC Championship Game, so he’s the future.
The Commanders to go from strength to strength if they’re going to stay competitive. That means keeping him clean, a specialist of Tunsil’s ever since he entered the pros as the 13th player drafted in 2016.
Tunsil’s into a shutdown left tackle, but his skills come at a premium. His hefty contract will be newsworthy after Commanders general manager Adam Peters was accused of overpaying for a replacement for veteran defensive tackle Jonathan Allen earlier in free agency.
Laremy Tunsil Secures Key Spot Next to Jayden Daniels
After quarterback, left tackle is arguably the second-most important position in football. So it made little sense for the Commanders to have doubts at a key spot.
Those doubts were attributed to 2024 third-round pick Brandon Coleman being a viable option. Veteran Cornelius Lucas Jr. was also in the mix, but Tunsil is an obvious upgrade over both.
The five-time Pro Bowler achieved a “91.7 Pass Blocking Grade since 2022 (2nd among OTs),” according to Pro Football Focus. That grade came from Tunsil giving up just two sacks, three hits and 19 QB pressures, per the same source.
Those numbers show Tunsil kept Texans’ passer C.J. Stroud clean. Now, the 30-year-old will be tasked with doing the same for Daniels.
Protecting the league’s next star quarterback is the priority, but Peters also hasn’t been shy about equipping Daniels with weapons. No matter the cost.
Commanders Spending Big to Stay Relevant
Peters trading for San Francisco 49ers All-Pro Deebo Samuel gave Daniels another stud wide receiver to go with Terry McLaurin, but the deal wasn’t cheap. The Commanders have been warned about extending an already lucrative contract for Samuel.
A decision about Samuel will have to be juggled alongside resolving Tunsil’s particular fiscal needs. The accomplished pass-protector “brings a 2 year $42.6M contract with him to the #Commanders: 2025: $21.3M ($10M gtd) 2026: $21.3M (non-gtd),” according to Spotrac.com’s Michael Ginnitti.
The Commanders are only able to accommodate contracts like these for two reasons. First, Daniels playing on a rookie deal.
He’ll eventually need to get paid like one of the premier dual-threat playmakers in the league, but not yet. In the meantime, Peters can fully exploit ample salary cap space he helped create by signing several veterans on short-term, team-friendly deals during free agency last year.
That policy not only helped Daniels inspire a quick turnaround. It’s also positioned the Commanders to load up in a major way this offseason.
