As Laremy Tunsil needs surgery, the Commanders turn to Brandon Coleman at left tackle

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — The Washington Commanders will be without their best offensive lineman for the foreseeable future.

Coach Dan Quinn confirmed Monday that left tackle Laremy Tunsil needs surgery on his left triceps and will be sidelined indefinitely. Quinn said the team won’t know how long Tunsil’s absence will last until after the procedure is done.

“It’s always tough to talk about a player missing time, and especially a great player like LT,” Quinn said. “He is an absolutely fantastic teammate, and he’ll be missed. We certainly can’t wait to get him back.”

Tunsil was injured Saturday during an individual drill against pass rusher Odafe Oweh. Tunsil immediately took a knee after the play and was quickly ushered into the facility following a chat with the training staff.

Losing Tunsil is a significant blow for the Commanders after the franchise made him the highest-paid tackle in the NFL in March. Tunsil, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, is one of the sport’s best pass protectors and a force in the run game.

“He is really on the top of his game right now,” Quinn said. “Both in the run and pass, this is an equally strong player, and so it’s a big deal.”

With Tunsil out, the Commanders pivoted to Brandon Coleman to fill the void. It’s a natural transition for Coleman, who started 12 games at left tackle as a rookie for Washington in 2024 and played well. He made three starts at left tackle last year.

“He’s played a lot of winning football at left tackle here, and we know that he’s ready for it,” Quinn said. “He’s put in an excellent offseason, and the team is very confident in him.”

It has been just one practice, but Coleman said returning to left tackle has been a smooth transition — "like riding a bike.” He’s excited to return to his natural position, where he feels he can showcase his athleticism and footwork.

“My feet are good,” Coleman said. “Being able to dance with those guys, I’m able to keep up. Now that I’m getting my hands under control in terms of knowing where to punch, knowing what I want to do, that stuff just helps me out even more.”

Coincidentally, Coleman — along with right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. — traveled to Alabama this summer to work out with Tunsil. Spending nearly a month training together, Coleman said the experience completely changed his training habits.

“He basically revamped my whole approach to how I treat camp and the season,” Coleman said. “There’s a lot of stuff that I took from him, from his nutritionist to his strength guy, working with a chef, just taking care of my body a lot better. My prep for practice is a lot different. Seeing how a guy like that prepares every day, how he treats his body, what he does in his off time and how he recovers, that’s the price of stuff that you can’t (get) anywhere.”

Shifting Coleman to tackle allows the Commanders to maintain continuity along the rest of the offensive line. Coleman and Chris Paul entered training camp in competition for the starting left guard spot. Now, they’re working alongside each other.

“We played together last year a little bit,” Coleman said. “We trained together last year. Close, always talking, always joking around. (He is) arguably one of the strongest humans I’ve ever met. It definitely helps you out, especially having that chemistry beforehand.”

The plan is to for the Commanders to give Coleman an extended look in Tunsil's old spot, with veteran Andrew Wylie staying in his backup swing tackle role. Quinn consulted with general manager Adam Peters and said they don’t expect to explore help in free agency right now.

Washington hopes that Tunsil can return at some point this season. His teammates expect him to do everything he can in rehab to make that happen.

“It’s tough to see a guy who put all that work in go down like that,” tackle Trent Scott said. “But he’s a stud. I’m pretty sure he’s going to attack rehab and he’ll probably be back sooner (than later).”

In the interim, Coleman will do his best to fill Tunsil’s void — something Coleman knows himself is nearly impossible to replicate.

“There’s only one Laremy Tunsil in my opinion,” Coleman said. “The best tackle in the league.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl