The Washington Commanders launched their 2026 preseason campaign in winning fashion, defeating the Miami Dolphins 20-7 on Friday night at Northwest Stadium.
The victory wrapped a successful week for Washington, who also faced Miami in a joint practice on Wednesday, Aug. 12 at the BigBear.ai Performance Center. This marked the franchise’s first joint practice at the Ashburn facility.
“First thing I thought was it was good to see the rookies. I really enjoy the preseason,” said head coach Dan Quinn. “We put so much time into the development side with these guys, so when I get a chance to watch them play, man, it’s something that I love every year of going for it. They come in early, extra time, extra walkthroughs at night just to put themself in a position where they can go compete and do their thing. And so, first action for them, it’s a big deal. It’s never lost on me. I love that.”
After most of Washington’s starters participated in the joint session, Quinn decided to rest 26 players for Friday’s preseason opener. Jayden Daniels, Terry McLaurin, Stefon Diggs, Odafe Oweh, Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt, Mike Sainristil, Frankie Luvu, Jeremy Reaves, and several other key players were among those on the list who did not play.
Instead, under the Friday night lights, the NFL debuts of Sonny Styles, Antonio Williams, Athan Kaliakmanis, and Drew Stevens, among others, were on full display.
“It was incredible. I wasn’t really thinking about my first completion,” said Kaliakmanis. “I was kind of in the zone, but it was just a blessing to walk out there, see all the Commanders fans, and see that field. It was like, ‘wow, this is real life. This is my life. It’s amazing. It’s beautiful.’ I love it, and I’m just appreciative [of] every one of the guys in here.”
The preseason game even brought NFL brothers Chris Paul of the Washington Commanders and Dolphins offensive tackle Patrick Paul together on the same field, while prompting several other players to make their mark ahead of the regular season.
Quarterback Marcus Mariota clinched the game start but exited earlier than expected, departing after the fourth play of Washington’s first offensive drive with a leg injury from a hard hit with Dolphins linebacker Tyrel Dodson. Sam Hartman and Kaliakmanis were among the two who took over for Mariota.
To seal Friday night’s victory, Washington leaned on touchdowns from running backs Robert Henry Jr. and Kaytron Allen, which also included a disruptive defense to finish the job. The defensive line, safety Quan Martin, cornerback Antonio Hamilton Sr., safety Malik Spencer, and linebacker Ale Kaho all made key contributions, showcasing the defensive depth that helped the Commanders close out the win.
“It’s definitely always a phase to get better at, especially while we’re in preseason,” said Martin. “Just going out there, man, just playing fast, and just communicating as much as possible. But I definitely think we can improve, and just keep stacking it and getting better.”
The Washington Commanders will hit the road to take on NFC opponent Detroit Lions in Week 2 of the 2026 NFL preseason. The game will take place on Saturday, Aug. 22 at Ford Field in Detroit, with kickoff set for noon EST.
