Commanders dealt major blow as Laremy Tunsil suffers torn triceps

Washington's season just got a lot harder before it has even started. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil has suffered a torn triceps and is likely to miss a significant chunk of the campaign, according to reports from NFL Network and ESPN.

Tunsil, who arrived in Washington as one of the league's premier offensive linemen, is the man tasked with protecting franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels' blindside. Losing him for an extended spell is a serious problem for a Commanders team that made the NFC Championship game last season and will have been targeting another deep playoff run.

The exact timeline for his return has not been confirmed, but the word 'significant' being used by multiple sources points to a lengthy absence rather than a short-term knock. That will force offensive line coaches to shuffle their plans just as training camp intensity ramps up, and puts extra scrutiny on whoever steps in at left tackle to shield Daniels, who is still relatively inexperienced at this level.

For a Commanders side built around protecting and empowering their young quarterback, this is exactly the sort of injury they will have feared. Tunsil's size, experience and consistency at left tackle have been a stabilising factor up front, and replacing that on short notice is never straightforward, especially against the calibre of edge rushers the Commanders will face across an NFC East schedule.

Expect plenty more detail to emerge on the severity and expected return date in the coming days as Washington's medical staff assess the damage, but for now the headline is stark: one of the league's better left tackles is set for a spell on the sidelines, and the Commanders must find a way to cope without him.