Laremy Tunsil has a new quarterback to protect, and he couldn't be more thrilled about it.
"I damn sure can't wait to block for Jayden Daniels," Tunsil said during his Zoom press conference with reporters. "He's a baller."
The Commanders entered the offseason with the goal of finding a player who can protect Daniels as he tries to improve upon his record-setting rookie campaign and lead their offense for the foreseeable future. Rather than spend money on a player with less experience and more upside, they chose to send a package of draft picks to the Houston Texans for Tunsil, a five-time Pro Bowler and widely considered one of the best left tackles in the sport.
It was a steep price -- a 2025 third-round pick, 2025 seventh-round pick, 2026 second-round pick and 2026 fourth-round pick -- but they felt that fortifying one of the most important positions on the field was worth it. Tunsil is looking to prove them right by keeping Daniels safe.
"In my opinion, they traded for me for that reason, just to make a huge impact on the team," Tunsil said. "I'm down to do whatever they want me to do, especially at Year 10. If they need me to play quarterback and back up Jayden Daniels, then I can do that -- running back, whatever."
The Commanders would probably want Tunsil to stick to the offensive line, where he's been one of the best at keeping quarterbacks upright. He's allowed the fifth-lowest pressure rate among left tackles since 2022 and has a strong track record against players like Myles Garrett (his 2.5% pressure rate against Tunsil is the lowest in the NFL, per NextGenStats).
Tunsil was charged with protecting Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud during his rookie season in 2023. Stroud had a similar trajectory as Daniels, winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year award for giving the Texans a 10-7 record and advancing to the Divisional round of the playoffs. Tunsil did his job well with Stroud in the backfield, allowing just 20 pressures on 556 pass-blocking plays while earning an 85.4 grade from Pro Football Focus.
This time, however, Tunsil will be tasked with helping elevate what was already a successful offense in 2024. The Commanders finished with the seventh-ranked offense that averaged 28.5 points per game. Much of that success came from Daniels, who set several team and franchise rookie records with 4,459 total yards and 31 touchdowns. Daniels' biggest problem was that he was sacked too often, as he was taken down 47 times.
Tunsil intends to change that, and he sees similarities between Daniels and Stroud.
"Composed, just to be so young -- him and C.J. have that same trait. They're very composed, especially in tough situations," Tunsil said.
As good as Daniels was in difficult moments, the goal is to keep him out of them as often as possible. Daniels had a 74.8 completion rate when in a clean pocket last year with the eighth-best offensive grade among quarterbacks.
"It seems like he's a better dude, too, just hearing from a lot of people just around the locker room and his teammates at LSU. I know a couple of guys," Tunsil said. "So, I can't wait. He'll make my job hella easy."
Even with Washington's issues with protecting Daniels last season, the Commanders' success was one of the biggest stories of the year. General manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn infused the roster with a mixture of talented veterans and youth to turn a team that finished 4-13 in 2023 to one that had a 12-5 record in 2024 and was one game away from a Super Bowl appearance.
That got Tunsil's attention.
"Just watching this team on film last year, a tremendous team, top to bottom, special teams, defense, offense," Tunsil said. "I think [Peters and Quinn] put a great team together and just added a few more pieces, added myself. It's only going to make it better."
And while he hasn't been with the Commanders for long, he has a good idea of where the team is headed next.
"And the energy in that building is off the charts, honestly," Tunsil said. "Everybody's happy. Everybody's energetic. Everybody's looking to win. That's the feeling I got from meeting them, and that's something that I'm glad to be a part of."
