Commanders sign D.J. Humphries as offensive line keeps falling apart before Week 1
With Laremy Tunsil already lost for most of the season to a torn triceps, Washington brought in the veteran left tackle Tuesday on a one-year deal - a week before they open at Philadelphia.
In brief
Commanders sign D.J. Humphries as offensive line keeps falling apart before Week 1
The Commanders have 18 days until they open the regular season at Lincoln Financial Field against the Eagles. Their offensive line looks nothing like what general manager Adam Peters drew up in the spring. And Tuesday night, the team moved to address the latest fire: Washington is signing veteran left tackle D.J. Humphries to a one-year contract, a source confirmed to ESPN, less than 24 hours before the NFL's 4 p.m. Sunday roster-reduction deadline forces every team down to 53 players.
The move is a direct consequence of losing Laremy Tunsil. The Commanders are signing Humphries after Tunsil went down with a torn triceps, a injury that is expected to cost him most of the 2026 season. Tunsil suffered the torn triceps during practice on Aug. 8 while trying to block a bull rush from edge rusher Odafe Oweh. That's their own pass rusher, in their own practice. The freak nature of it made a brutal situation worse.
The timing was particularly ugly because the Commanders had just made Tunsil the highest-paid left tackle in the NFL, signing him to a two-year, $60.2 million extension - the first player at the position to average $30 million per year. Washington reset the market and then watched that investment limp off the practice field three weeks later.
Who is Humphries, exactly?
More than two weeks after losing Tunsil, the Commanders agreed to a one-year deal with Humphries, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. A veteran of three NFL teams, Humphries has started 101 of 108 career appearances. He entered the league as the 24th overall pick in 2015 out of Florida, spending the bulk of his career in Arizona.
He was very good once. Humphries made his lone Pro Bowl in 2021, but a back injury limited him to eight games the following season. He returned to make 15 starts in 2023, then suffered a late-season ACL tear and never played for the Cardinals again. He played two games with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024 and appeared in eight games for the Los Angeles Rams last year. That résumé - Pro Bowl five years ago, knee reconstruction, a short stint on a Super Bowl roster - is exactly what it looks like: a reclamation project on a one-year prove-it deal.
While Humphries was once a premier left tackle, he joins Washington as a depth piece rather than a viable starter, and his regression over the last four years puts him in line for a second- or third-team role. That's the honest assessment from CBS Sports. Nobody's pretending this is a like-for-like replacement for Tunsil.
Brandon Coleman is the guy - for now
Humphries gives the Commanders a backup for starter Brandon Coleman, who took over for Tunsil at left tackle. Coleman started 15 games at left tackle in 2024, including all three postseason games as Washington reached the NFC Championship. He's proven he can do the job. The question is depth.
The early August injury required surgery and pushed Coleman from a position battle at left guard to left tackle. Washington had no experienced options behind Coleman in the event he struggled or got hurt, and he has dealt with nagging injuries during his first two seasons. Bringing in Humphries at least means they have someone who has actually played the position at a high level if things go sideways.
The move ties in with Washington's release of offensive tackle Foster Sarell, which the team announced Tuesday. One vet out, another vet in. The roster math makes sense; the overall health of the unit still does not.
The bigger problem nobody's solved
Left tackle isn't the only spot on the line that's shaky. The Commanders also lack experienced depth at center. Nick Allegretti, the presumed starter, has practiced only two days in camp because of a strained calf. Defensive lineman Jer'Zhan Newton, lost to a torn pec, may be placed on injured reserve with a return designation, which would at least leave a window open for a possible comeback later in the year.
The Commanders open the 2026 regular season at the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 13, and before that they play one more preseason game Friday against the Baltimore Ravens - then must cut their roster to 53 players by 6 p.m. ET on Sunday. That Friday game in Baltimore, combined with joint practices against the Ravens, is the last real look Dan Quinn gets at the roster before it's locked in.
The Commanders' 53-man roster is largely set, with no starting jobs up for grabs and most backup spots taken - but the open questions at receiver depth and the secondary add to the noise. Washington has eight wide receivers worthy of a roster spot, and that may result in a trade, potentially for a pick or more interior offensive line depth.
Humphries worked out for the team Tuesday and was signed the same day, per multiple reports. The Commanders had not been planning a veteran tackle addition in the immediate aftermath of Tunsil's injury, but reversed course with this pickup. Humphries will join Andrew Wylie to give Washington two battle-tested backups, with a starting opportunity possible if Coleman struggles.
He has 101 career starts in 108 NFL games and knows how to play the position in big moments. That much is real. Whether a 32-year-old coming off an ACL tear and years of limited action can actually protect Jayden Daniels' blindside in an NFC East that runs through Philadelphia and Dallas - that's what the rest of August won't answer.
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CAN I KICK IT? screens New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument, on Aug. 22. (Courtesy SHAOLIN JAZZ)
The live-cinema series CAN I KICK IT? returns to the National Mall this month with what its producers are calling the "Gangsters on the Mall" chapter of their free outdoor summer run. On Saturday, August 22, the SHAOLIN JAZZ production brings the 1991 crime classic New Jack City to the Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument for a night of film, music, and community under the DC summer sky.
What sets the event apart is the sound. As the film plays, DJ 2-Tone Jones builds an original score in real time, reimagining one of the most iconic crime movies of the ’90s through hip-hop, soul, funk, and more. It is less a movie screening than a live performance built around the film.
The details:
Film: New Jack City (1991), with a live soundtrack by DJ 2-Tone Jones
When: Saturday, August 22 — seating opens at 7:30 p.m. (bring lawn chairs and blankets); film begins at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument, Independence Ave SW & 15th St NW
A parking note from the organizers: expect road closures and restricted parking east of 14th Street NW due to a separate race event in the District. Roads west of 14th Street NW will be accessible and available for parking.
New Jack City is the second of three screenings in this year’s free CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series, which opened with Black Panther at Skyland Town Center and concludes with Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial on September 5. Produced by the Washington, DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, the series has presented more than 150 live cinematic experiences at venues across the country, from Lincoln Center to SXSW.
"I wanted to be able to tell good stories with substance and remove the ‘ego’ out of the art," said Andrew Huang during a recent interview. Now, he’s building his career at the intersection of discipline, creativity and innovation.
Andrew Huang, founder of New Place Studios. (Courtesy photo)
As a Chinese American, Huang was reared with a deep respect for hard work, consistency and excellence. He describes his childhood as "not so affluent" and later attended college to hone his passion for videography. "In college I tried to do something I loved, which was video, but along the way I knew that I had to find a job. And so I thought, ‘what was the low hanging fruit to get to that stable 9 to 5 job?,’" he stated.
Later in life, Huang found himself working for corporations where his creativity was often limited, eventually leading to burnout. "I worked in a corporation for a long time and there were a lot of missing pieces. I wanted to fill in gaps missing in corporate video production," said Huang.
He later described how his upbringing and a mindset of "survival" led him toward a corporate career. However, his desire for balance and authentic storytelling ultimately pushed him to take the entrepreneurial leap.
"I founded a new place where you can create video and film with ‘substance and style,’" said Huang. His desire for work-life balance and passion for storytelling naturally evolved into a small business based in Virginia. With the launch of New Place Studios, the entrepreneur quickly found himself reconnecting with the values that would become the foundation of everything he creates behind the camera.
Huang said being a business owner has allowed him to first embrace himself. While others may see video as simply capturing moments, he sees it as a way to preserve stories that inspire, connect and leave a lasting imprint.
By combining cinematic visuals with cutting-edge production techniques and a keen understanding of branding, Huang helps organizations and individuals communicate their vision with purpose. He said understanding a client’s "why" serves as the compass for delivering the services they need.
One benefit of working with a small business, he said, is that clients get to see the production process unfold through a micro lens while working with the same faces throughout the entire project. "The work feels personal," said Huang.
Huang does not regret leaving behind the flash-over-substance mentality and corporate hustle culture. That does not mean the Asian American entrepreneur has been without challenges in the industry. "It’s relatively hard to find other Asian American creatives or people who would want to work with me in the DMV," said Huang.
He identifies the industry culture in which everyone is trying to blend in, creatives may fear displaying their Asian identity and some feel pressure to adopt an American corporate persona. He also points to what he describes as a level of gatekeeping within the industry. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2024 statistics, Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs own more than 3 million businesses and employ 5.2 million people in the United States.
After tapping into organizations such as SCORE, which offers free small business mentorship, New Place Studios has become a trusted creative partner throughout the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia). The company produces a range of creative services, including commercials, corporate branding, documentaries, film, 2D animation, motion graphics and photography.
For Huang, entrepreneurship has become more than a departure from corporate life. It has given him the freedom to create with intention, build meaningful connections and tell stories that go beyond the surface.
The 2026 CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
For three Saturdays this summer, some of Washington’s most familiar public spaces will do something they rarely do after dark: fill up with blankets, lawn chairs, and the sound of a movie being scored live, in real time. CAN I KICK IT?, the traveling “live cinema” series produced by the DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, is bringing a free outdoor run to the city — pairing three era-defining films with an original soundtrack performed on the spot by DJ 2-Tone Jones.
The premise is what sets it apart from a normal screening in the park. Rather than simply pressing play, 2-Tone Jones builds a score as the film unfolds, pulling from hip-hop, soul, funk, jazz, rock, electronic music, and sounds from around the world. The result, the organizers say, is less a movie night than a one-time performance — the same film you know, wired to a soundtrack you have never heard and will not hear again. Guest DJs warm up the crowd starting at 7:30 PM before each 8:30 PM screening.
The 2026 outdoor schedule
All three events are free and open to the public.
Saturday, August 8 — Black Panther at Skyland Town Center. A pop-up marketplace and community activities kick off the evening; guest DJs at 7:30 PM, film at 8:30 PM. Marvel’s superhero epic gets a one-night-only live score in Southeast DC.
Saturday, August 22 — New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument. Seating begins at 7:30 PM; the film starts at 8:30 PM. The 1991 crime drama plays out at the foot of one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks.
Saturday, September 5 — Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial. Seating at 7:30 PM; film at 8:30 PM. The series closes with Brian De Palma’s crime saga against the backdrop of the Memorial, scored live from start to finish.
First up: Black Panther at Skyland Town Center on August 8. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
A DC company with a national footprint
SHAOLIN JAZZ describes itself as a Washington-based arts company working at the intersection of music, film, art, and culture, and CAN I KICK IT? is its signature production. According to the organizers, the series has staged more than 150 live cinematic experiences around the country — at performing arts centers, museums, festivals, and cultural institutions including Lincoln Center in New York, SXSW, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Republic Square in Austin, the Tacoma Armory, and The Cary Theater.
“CAN I KICK IT? has always been about creating a shared experience,” said Gerald Watson, co-founder of SHAOLIN JAZZ. “When you combine iconic films with live music in public spaces, something special happens. People aren’t just watching a movie — they’re experiencing it together. That’s what makes these nights so memorable.”
Cinema as a community event
The DC run lands as cities across the country look for new ways to activate public space through arts and culture — and this series is a straightforward pitch for how to do it: take a landmark everyone already knows, add a film everyone has an opinion about, and let a live soundtrack turn the evening into something neighbors experience shoulder to shoulder. Families, film buffs, and music fans are all invited, and admission won’t cost a thing.
The CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series runs August 8, August 22, and September 5. All events are free; check SHAOLIN JAZZ (shaolinjazz.com) for the latest details and any weather updates before heading out.
