Commanders Panic-Sign DJ Humphries After Laremy Tunsil's $60 Million Triceps Tear
Ian Rapoport reported the signing, noting Humphries adds 'key depth and starting experience to their O-line.'
The just backed up the Brinks truck for Laremy Tunsil, and now they are already scrambling to check the warranty.
According to Ian Rapoport, is signing veteran left tackle DJ Humphries to a one-year deal. The emergency move comes because Tunsil just tore his triceps in practice, blowing a massive hole in the left side of the offensive line before the regular season even starts.
This is a brutal twist of fate for a franchise that thought they had the blindside permanently locked down. Back in March, the Commanders handed Tunsil a two-year, $60.2 million extension with over $52 million fully guaranteed. Losing your $60 million anchor to a torn muscle in August is the kind of luck that makes you wonder if the team facility was built on an ancient burial ground.
You do not just replace what Tunsil brings to the field. He is arguably the best pass protector in the sport, allowing a laughable 1.5 sacks in 14 starts last season while posting an elite 88.9 pass-blocking grade. When a guy like that goes down, you are not looking for an upgrade. You are just trying to survive the math.
Enter Humphries. The veteran brings 101 career starts to the table, spending nine seasons grinding it out with the . He is a former Pro Bowler who knows the position inside and out, which is exactly the kind of resume you want when you are panic-shopping in late August.
But let us be real about the context here. Humphries is available right now because he tore his ACL on New Year's Eve in 2023, prompting to cut him this past March to save cap space. He is a solid veteran, but relying on a guy fresh off a major knee rehab to protect the blindside is a high-wire act.
For anyone eyeing 's win totals or offensive player props, this injury changes the entire calculus. An offensive line is a house of cards, and pulling out the most expensive card usually makes the whole thing wobble.
Tunsil is expected to miss a significant chunk of the regular season, leaving Humphries to hold the line. We will see exactly how much gas the veteran has left in the tank when the real games kick off, but 's offensive ceiling just took a massive hit.