Just as the Washington Commanders‘ offense roars louder with renewed promise, the team’s defense is balancing on a knife-edge. In Ashburn, as head coach Dan Quinn stares down the calendar ticking towards Week 1, one issue looms: the linebacker depth behind stalwarts Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu. Last season, the Commanders only leaned on their core linebackers. Luvu logged approximately 98% of defensive snaps, and Wagner did him one better at 99%, a testament to their durability and dominance. But that was last season. Currently, their supporting unit hasn’t shone in their two outings without the starters, with a record of 78-21.

On 106.7 The Fan, The Team 980 hosts John Auville, Jason Bishop, and Eric Bickel, who pointed out the threat looming over Washington. And Auville’s assessment was blunt: “The linebacker spot outside of Louvre and Wagner is paper-thin, so if they have people that are making an impact, that are going to make the roster, that’s a positive sign.” Bishop ran through the alternatives: injured Jordan Magee, veteran Nick Bellore, and rookie Kain Medrano out of UCLA, but the limitations made him concede as well. Auville added, “If those guys go down, one of those guys goes down, that’s a huge issue.” To which Bickel replied, “Sure. But that’s the case for a lot of positions.”

Auville further sharpened his point, “but when you have exactly two really proven linebackers on your whole roster, one of them goes down, you’re in panic mode. Especially when the guys you’re drafting behind them either aren’t making an impact or they’re not able to get on the field. I’m talking about Magee specifically.” So far, Magee’s career has been injury-ridden. The second-year Commander only played eight games as a rookie and spent the first two weeks of this year’s preseason on the sideline, too. He only had one preseason outing this year, and that was against the Baltimore Ravens, where he only played a single series.

In the middle of that unease came an unexpected bright spot. Undrafted rookie Ale Kaho played all three preseason games, logging 89 snaps and grading out as one of Washington’s top defenders. Bickel highlighted his emergence, “I think he was an undrafted free agent, Ale Kaho, the linebacker, number 51. He basically played all three games, played 89 snaps, he basically was the highest-rated defensive player. He’s put himself in the mix there for a roster spot somehow.” And there’s valid reasoning for it. Against the Ravens, Kaho capped his audition with a seven-tackle performance, six of them solo, and showed a nose for the ball that Washington desperately needs. So there’s hope in the rookies as well, but without depth, that hope is bleak.

Yet while Dan Quinn wrestles with the fragility of his defense, Washington’s front office has delivered clarity on the other side of the ball, securing its most important offensive piece before the season begins.

Dan Quinn and the Commanders could not say goodbye to Terry McLaurin

After an intense and rather long contract dispute, Terry McLaurin, the face of Dan Quinn’s offense and one of the NFL’s most consistent wide receivers, agreed to a three-year, $96 million extension that keeps him with QB Jayden Daniels through 2028. The deal closed only days before the season opener against the New York Giants, and now, after months of speculation, we will finally see McLaurin donning the Washington jersey again.

In 2024, McLaurin caught 13 out of Daniels’ 25 touchdown passes and was a frequent target on the deep balls that became a signature of Daniels’s rookie season. Now the pair can continue to operate as one of the most effective pass-and-catch tandems in football. Individually, too, McLaurin has been nothing short of elite. A 2019 third-round pick out of Ohio State, he has eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in five consecutive seasons, narrowly missing it as a rookie due to injury. And the front office evidently gave him a gift, which is reportedly a $30 million signing bonus.

The Commanders’ signal caller, Daniels, himself celebrated McLaurin’s signing as he wrote on the news, “Lemme hold [sum] $.” And why shouldn’t he be? McLaurin played a massive role in helping the QB land the Rookie Of The Year award, and the Commanders by helping them in their stellar 12-5 record. For what’s ahead, Washington’s offense is shining brightly; the only concern comes with the defense. Will the hopes of the Commanders entering the Super Bowl become a reality?