In the middle of March during the initial wave of free agency, the Washington Commanders made a couple of trades that brought in Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil to bolster the offense. Both were pleasant surprises for Commanders fans, as protecting their star quarterback is a priority, and giving him weapons to make him successful is always welcome.
Samuel came to the Commanders from the San Francisco 49ers and Tunsil from the Houston Texans. Recently, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans talked about trading Tunsil to Washington and how it was a difficult decision.
Texans HC DeMeco Ryans: "Trading Laremy was tough ... Laremy is such a great player. ... He's arguably one of the best 1-on-1 pass protectors in the NFL. It's hard to lose a player of his caliber. At the same time, it was a trade we felt was beneficial to both parties. We were…
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) March 31, 2025
"Trading Laremy was tough," the post reads. "He's arguably one of the best 1-on-1 pass protectors in the NFL. It's hard to lose a player of his caliber."
The Commanders' organization and fanbase should interpret this as follows: You have a quality player who will protect your starting quarterback and give him the time he needs to make a play.
Jayden Daniels is great at extending plays with his legs, and right now that's fine. But if he wants longevity in his career, he needs to limit the amount of running he does during the season, not because of the running, but because of the hits he will take when that happens. Adding Tunsil to the offensive line will help mitigate that risk and give Daniels the time he needs to get the ball down the field, increasing Daniels' longevity in the NFL and his tenure as the Commanders' quarterback.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Texans' DeMeco Ryans: Trading Laremy Tunsil to Commanders was 'tough'