Commanders Put Tunsil, Newton on IR: Survivor-Pick Read

Two starters hit IR before the games even count

Washington heads into the 2026 season down two of its most important trench players. The Commanders placed left tackle Laremy Tunsil and defensive tackle Johnny Newton on injured reserve, and both moves land on the same side of the coin survivor players care most about: protecting the quarterback and stopping the run.

The good news for Washington is that neither move is described as season-ending. The team is leaving the door open for both Tunsil and Newton to return at some point during the season. The bad news is that survivor pickers live week to week, and "at some point" doesn't help you fill out a lineup right now.

To soften the blow, the Commanders re-signed cornerback Fabian Moreau and defensive tackle Shy Tuttle. That addresses depth, but re-signing veterans off the street is a patch, not a like-for-like replacement for two starting-caliber players.

Why this matters for a Commanders survivor pick

Survivor is a game of avoiding landmines, and injuries in the trenches are one of the quieter ways a "safe" pick blows up.

The Tunsil loss

Losing a left tackle is the kind of injury that doesn't show up in a highlight reel but changes how a game is played. Tunsil protects the blind side, and when that spot gets downgraded, everything downstream gets shakier — the passing game slows, drives stall, and the offense leans harder on the run to stay out of obvious passing situations. For a survivor player, that means less margin for error in a game you were counting on Washington to control.

The Newton loss

Newton on IR thins the interior of the defensive line. Shy Tuttle's return adds a body there, but a re-signed veteran filling in for a starter is exactly the kind of downgrade that lets opposing offenses run more comfortably and keep the chains moving. Defenses that can't get off the field turn winnable games into nervous ones.

Survivor implications over the next few weeks

The most important thing here is timing. Because neither player is ruled out for the year, the Commanders' outlook can shift week to week — and that's precisely the kind of situation you want to track before locking in a pick.

• In the short term, treat Washington with a little extra caution. With both starters out, the Commanders are a slightly weaker version of themselves on both lines. That doesn't automatically remove them from your board, but it should make you demand a favorable matchup before spending them.
• Save the name if you can. If your pool board gives you a cleaner, safer option this week, there's no reason to force a team that just downgraded its offensive and defensive lines. In survivor, the best value is often the team you don't have to sweat.
• Watch for the return. The door is open for both Tunsil and Newton to come back. If they do, Washington's floor rises again, and the Commanders become a more reliable option down the stretch. Re-checking their injury status each week is worth the two minutes.

The broader survivor lesson: trench injuries rarely make headlines the way a star skill-position loss does, but they quietly shrink a team's margin. If you're managing your slate of future picks, factor that in before committing Washington to a specific week. For more on planning your entry across a full season, our survivor analysis blog digs into how to sequence teams so you're not stuck reaching for a weakened contender.

Bottom line

Washington isn't off the table, but the IR moves for Laremy Tunsil and Johnny Newton make the Commanders a shakier survivor pick until those players return or the depth proves it can hold up. If you're weighing whether to burn them now, lean toward waiting for a clearer matchup — or a healthier lineup.

New to the format or building out a strategy? Here's how survivor pools work, and you can always start a free survivor pool to put this thinking into practice.