Jaylin Lane of the Washington Commanders returned a punt for a touchdown on December 14, 2025. The question remains whether he can regain elite status as a punt returner by 2026.
**Bullockâs Film Room** (subscription) Allen leaves college as the all time leading rusher in Penn State history, ahead of some greats like Saquon Barkley. At 5-foot-11, 216 pounds, Allen is a short but stout running back that lacks great burst and long speed, but makes up for it with good power, contact balance and feel for the running back position. So what are the Commanders getting in Allen? Well the team lost Chris Rodriguez in free agency, who provided a nice one-two punch with Jacory Croskey-Merritt last year. Croskey-Merritt provided the explosive change of pace option while Rodriguez provided steady reliability between the tackles and short yardage situations. Allen feels like a natural replacement for Rodgriguez. When you watch him, the first things that stand out are the power and ability to fall forward on contact, making him a strong short yardage back. That ability to get low, power through unblocked defenders and fall forward makes him a real threat down on the goal line too. Allen has that great trait that all the best power backs have, which is the ability to fall forward and pick up extra yards doing so. **Last Man Standig** (paywall)
Jaylin Lane returned a punt for a touchdown during the game against the New York Giants.
There is speculation about whether Jaylin Lane can return to elite form as a punt returner in the 2026 NFL season.
Jaylin Lane plays for the Washington Commanders in the NFL.
Jaylin Lane scored a touchdown on a punt return on December 14, 2025.
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Think of it as inventory â whatâs here, whatâs missing, and whatâs about to be decided. Rather than force a rigid Week 1 roster projection, this exercise separates locks and strong bets from bubble players and long shots. The latter groups â along with potential free-agent additions â are listed after the position-by-position breakdown. The goal isnât precision. Itâs clarity on how general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn might approach the final decisions â and where help is still required. **Running back (3) â Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rachaad White, Kaytron Allen** The roles are clean. The rĂ©sumĂ© isnât. âBillâ Croskey-Merritt projects as the lead option, White handles passing downs, and Allen offers power. Whatâs missing: true breakaway speed â and proven production. Croskey-Merritt and Allen combine for just one NFL season. **Tight end (3) â Chig Okonkwo, John Bates, Ben Sinnott** This might be the offenseâs biggest philosophical shift. Under former OC Kliff Kingsbury, Washington leaned heavily on 11 personnel, or lineups with one tight end. New coordinator David Blough is expected to incorporate more under-center looks and heavier groupings, similar to the system of his former Lions coordinator, Ben Johnson. That means more 12 and 13 personnel â the Bears under Johnson were top six in the use of two and three TE sets last season âand more relevance for the entire room. **Final spots (6)**
**Washington Commanders** On paper, Washington seems to be set up well for improvement after a disappointing 5-12 season. Much of the teamâs offseason focus was on rebuilding the defense, and the Commanders found a critical piece of their long-term future there in first-round LB Sonny Styles. The Commanders also bolstered their pass rush and found more depth with Joshua Josephs, a fifth-rounder with rare length and explosiveness. What Washington still seems to lack is another offensive playmaker alongside Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin. Maybe the Commanders will find it later in the offseason, or maybe third-round receiver Antonio Williams will exceed expectations and become a go-to target. â *Nicki Jhabvala* **Commanders Roundtable**
**QB Athan Kaliakmanis** Maybe the most surprising of all six picks during the 2026 NFL Draft, Kaliakmanis drew consistent interest from the Commanders during the draft process. That materialized into the former Rutgers and Minnesota quarterback becoming Washingtonâs final pick of the draft where he arrives with comparable measurable to Sam Hartman, the one who he likely competes against for the third quarterback spot. Kaliakmanis may have a leg up with his mobility and slight edge in arm strength to Hartman, and given Hartman was passed over for the starting job to close out the final two games of the 2025 season, this could materialize into an underrated storyline through the offseason into preseason. And with Mariota back again on another one year deal, maybe Kalaikmanis can provide enough confidence as a rookie to get a shot at taking the backup role in 2027. **A to Z Sports**
**Jaylin Lane leads the league in punt return touchdowns again** The Commanders knew exactly what they were getting in Lane when they drafted him last year and he didnât disappoint. Lane finished the year with two punt return touchdowns, which tied for the league lead. His 314 punt return yards were good for eighth-most and his average of 13.7 yards per punt return finished fifth-best. Lane immediately added a dynamic element that opposing teams have to account for. Look for Lane to make even more big plays in 2026. The kid is a dynamic, smooth returner that can make anyone miss at any time and Larry Izzo will continue to develop those skills. If he can add a kick return element to his game, then the Commanders could have a perennial Pro Bowl returner for the foreseeable future. Either way, he wonât tie for the league lead in punt returns this year â heâll take it for his own. **Riggoâs Rag**
**Drake Jackson â Commanders DE/OLB** Adam Peters had one priority above all else this offseason. The Washington Commanders needed to acquire the edge-rushing upgrades needed to make things easier for the defense. And the general manager achieved this objective with a flurry of new acquisitions. Odafe Oweh was the big-money arrival in free agency. KâLavon Chaisson was willing to bet on himself with a one-year deal. Charles Omenihu brings experience and depth, and Day 3 draft pick Joshua Josephs is already being tabbed as a steal. With Dorance Armstrong Jr. also making good progress from a serious knee injury, the Commanders have an abundance of weapons for Daronte Jones to utilize. Unfortunately for players like Drake Jackson, this decreases their chances of making the team. Jackson came on board last season after the San Francisco 49ers finally gave up. Heâs got talent, but cannot seem to stay healthy. The Commanders saw enough to give him another one-year deal, but that comes with no guarantees whatsoever.
**Blogging the Boys**
**Jonathan Mingo** Having given up a fourth-round pick to acquire Mingo a few years back, the Cowboys havenât gotten much return on the relatively steep investment. Once Dallas added George Pickens, Mingoâs path to a more substantial role on the team became less and less likely. The Cowboys have created a logjam at wide receiver. CeeDee Lamb, Pickens, and Ryan Flournoy should be locked in as the top three receiver options. Meanwhile, KaVontae Turpin is secured on the team because of return duties. That leaves realistically one, maybe two, spots left on the team at wide receiver. Dallas added Parris Campbell, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and drafted Anthony Smith in the seventh round. Itâs become apparent that at the bottom of the roster, the Cowboys are searching for speed. If it comes to only five receivers, Mingo could be on the outside looking in. **Pro Football Talk**
The Cowboys traded up one spot before taking safety Caleb Downs in the first round of this yearâs draft, but that deal only came after an attempt to move even higher was rebuffed. A clip from ESPNâs *The Pick Is In* shows Browns general manger Andrew Berry fielding a call from Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones while on the clock at No. 9. Berry turned down Dallasâs offer of their No. 12 and No. 20 picks for No. 9 and No. 24, and he did not change his mind when Jones offered to add a fifth-round pick to the offer. The offer suggests the Cowboys thought that the Giants were going to take Downs at No. 10 as that was a frequent link during the mock draft season. The Giants wound up taking tackle Francis Mauigoa and the Cowboys wound up sending two fifth-rounders to the Dolphins to move up to No. 11 for Downs. They later traded down three spots from No, 20 and picked up two fourth-round picks. **Outkick**
*A teammate confirmed it was âhard launch dayâ after the couple hit the Derby red carpet on Saturday* You have to hand it to Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Cooper DeJean and Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Abby Summers. These two appear to be choosing love over divisional rivalry. This isnât going to sit well with some fans from both NFL franchises. One is a highly skilled second-round pick who won a Super Bowl as a rookie, the other a member of Americaâs Sweethearts. Take the rivalry out of it, as hard as that is for some to do, and this is exactly the type of relationship the NFL needs. Two young NFL stars working hard to leave their mark on the league. DeJean and Summers were among those who made an appearance on the Kentucky Derby red carpet on Saturday. This comes after the two were spotted together at Iowaâs Elite Eight loss in March. View Link
**Pro Football Talk**
If recent history means anything, the NFLâs full, 272-game regular-season schedule will be released during the week of May 11, most likely on Wednesday, May 13. Recent history may not mean much. Via John Breech of CBS Sports, NFL V.P. of broadcast planning Mike North has said that the schedule could be released during the week of May 18. âMost fans know full well that the schedule comes out in mid-May now,â North said in an appearance on the *Itâs Always Game Day in Buffalo* podcast. âThatâs what weâve done the last five or six years. Thatâs sort of our target. Is there any magic to May 12, 13, 14? No. Is there any real downside to [May] 19, 20 or 21? No.â The NFL has yet to announce a specific date for the announcement of the schedule. **The Athletic** (paywall)
Toney Brasuell was sound asleep the night of Sept. 24, 2012, when his wife nudged him awake and told him to turn on the TV. âYouâre gonna wanna watch this,â she said. âIt doesnât look good.â A financial adviser based in Benton, Ark., Brasuell spent the previous two months moonlighting as an NFL replacement official, working four preseason games and the first three weeks of the regular season while the regular refs warred with the league over a new contract. Brasuellâs crew had excelled, he believed, earning multiple prime-time assignments and never hearing a word from the NFL about a missed call or sloppy sequence. But what he witnessed that night on TV â nonstop replays of what would become one of the most controversial calls in league history followed by 10 minutes of chaos and confusion â confirmed his suspicion. This was going to cost him his dream job. The enduring image from that fall â the disastrous ending to a Packers-Seahawks âMonday Night Footballâ game that Toney Brasuell woke up to â offers a snapshot into one of the NFLâs most embarrassing chapters. It wasnât just that the replacement refs standing inches away missed obvious offensive pass interference by Seahawks receiver Golden Tate on his game-winning Hail Mary catch, which would have negated the score and clinched a victory for the Packers. Itâs that they also missed the fact that Green Bay safety M.D. Jennings came down with the ball first. Yes, the Fail Mary was *that* bad. And for the most part, the replacement ref experiment of 2012 was, too. Most werenât ready for the big stage. âIt was like a rookie player coming in,â said Norv Turner, who was in his sixth and final season as coach of the San Diego Chargers. âI remember it was really easy for the replacement officials to be in awe of the players, even some of the coaches. You were wondering if guys were coming out to get autographs or coming out to officiate the game.â It hit Mike Wilmoth, a head linesman from South Haven, Kan., immediately. Heâd spent his career in the high school and junior college ranks, then was tapped to officiate the âSunday Night Footballâ opener in Denver. âWhen they introduce a guy like Peyton Manning, the whole stadium shakes,â Wilmoth said. âLetâs just say that doesnât happen at Pittsburg State.â The gaffes piled up, both on the field and off. One replacement ref bungled the coin toss before the Hall of Fame game. Another gave the Seahawks an extra timeout in a Week 1 loss to the Cardinals. One was pulled from the job hours before a Week 2 Saints-Panthers game after it was discovered he was a passionate Saints fan â his Facebook page was littered with photos of him tailgating in Saints gear weeks earlier. During a Week 3 game, one replacement official allowed 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh to challenge two calls even though he was out of timeouts. The same day, Cowboys receiver Kevin Ogletree slipped on an officialâs hat in the middle of the end zone before missing a touchdown grab. âLucky he didnât blow out an ACL,â Joe Buck, then of Fox, said on the call. In overtime in Tennessee, Wilmothâs crew enforced a penalty from the wrong 44-yard line, gifting the Titans 12 free yards in a game they won on a 27-yard field goal. Frustrations began to boil over. The same day, Washington offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan â flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct during a loss to Cincinnati â followed a replacement official down a stadium hallway after the game, spewing profanities at him. With each error, and with each ensuing controversy, the chorus of criticism intensified. âWould you let a Toyota dealership work on your brand-new Rolls-Royce? That doesnât work right, does it?â vented Cowboys safety Gerald Sensabaugh. âWeek 2 was a disaster,â rules guru Mike Pereira told The New York Times. âWeek 3 is the Titanic.â The sequel could be headed for NFL stadiums this fall, thanks to stalled negotiations between the league and the NFL Referees Association. The NFL has started onboarding potential replacement refs and informed its clubs in mid-April that they could be on the field for offseason practices as early as June 1. The league also passed a new rule that allows the officiating command center in New York to consult with referees during a game, and even enforce penalties the on-field officials might have missed. Brasuell said his crew chief has already received word from the league: Be ready.
**Mike Tanier â Too Deep Zone** (subscription)
Starters are better than their backups. There are exceptions. Starters get old, injured and/or complacent but maintain their coachesâ trust for a while. Backups, especially if they are top prospects, develop quickly. Itâs likely that a 2026 first-round pick is better than the journeyman who is currently in front of him on the depth chart. These exceptions become rarer, however, as time passes. Backups who are better than starters rapidly become starters. If they donât rapidly become starters, whatever their draft pedigree, it means that they are not as good as the players they arenât able to supplant. This brings us to the Green Bay Packers, a perennial playoff team that has replaced many of its starters with their backups, and will therefore decline in 2026. **Letâs switch over to edge rusher** The Packers drafted Lukas Van Ness 13th overall in 2023. He has started two games and recorded 8.5 sacks in three years. If the Vikings, Lions or Bears drafted an edge rusher 13th overall, and that defender notched just 8.5 sacks in three years, Cheeseheads would call him a âbustâ and troll rival fans about him. Micah Parsons led the Packers in every sack-related category in 2025, of course. Rashan Gary finished second with 7.5 sacks and 48 pressures. Kingsley Enagbare, a fourth-year role player, finished third with 23 pressures. Van Ness recorded 17 pressures. Gary and Enagbare started the playoff loss to the Bears, though Van Ness (47) ended up with more snaps than Gary (42). Gary has been an inconsistent-motor guy for years. He failed to step up when Parsons was injured, though he did record six pressures (per both Pro Football Focus and Sports Info Solutions) in that playoff loss. Packers fans said âgood riddanceâ when the team traded Gary to the Cowboys for a fourth-round pick. Enagbare then signed with the Jets. That leaves Van Ness as the starter opposite Parsons. In other words, the Packers replaced their fading edge rusher with the guy who spent three years failing to not only unseat him but the teamâs primary backup as well. Whatever you think of Gary, Van Ness spent three years proving that he is not as good. Heck, the Packers might never have traded for Parsons if Van Ness had developed into the player they hoped he would be! The Packers used the Gary pick on Penn State edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton. We can debate Dennis-Suttonâs merits all you like: if you think a fourth-round edge rusher can supplant Van Ness, then you are making my point for me. **In Summary âŠ** Letâs check out the position-by-position tally for the Packers.