The third-year player has been on a steep decline over the last one-plus seasons and he has recieved at message from his coaching staff.
It is difficult for Washington fans, and those in power, to ignore Commanders' embattled cornerback Mike Sainristil's early-season struggles through the first three weeks of the season so far, going against high-caliber offenses with strong passing attacks. An argument can be made that he is the main reason Washington was off to a 0-2 start entering Sunday.
The coaching staff sent Sainristil a clear message in Sunday’s 33-31 victory over the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
After playing 98.2 percent of the snaps in Week 1 and 82.1 percent of the snaps in Week 2, Sainristil only played in 38.8 percent of the snaps on Sunday, which amounts to 25 plays, playing behind veterans Amik Robertson, Rasual Douglas and Fabian Moreau in the cornerback rotation, relegated to mainly nickel duty. Head coach Dan Quinn confirmed this week that he views Sainristil in the nickel with Moreau, Robertson and Douglas outside as the best fit for the secondary. Despite that, his struggles continued. He was targeted four times at the end of Sunday and gave up four catches for 41 yards and four touchdowns.
Worse, it seemed his effort and desire were lacking on the play Cooper Kupp scored on, and defensive coordinator Daronte Jones seemed to make it clear on the sidelines afterward. If this were an isolated incident, that would be one thing. Still, head coach Dan Quinn already called Sainristil’s effort “completely not acceptable” after one play earlier in the season.
Course of Action
Reducing Sainristil’s snaps was effective this past Sunday, and they are expected to use the top three of Robertson, Douglas, and Moreau when they face the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday in London, without their top wide receiver, Alec Pierce, who is on injured reserve. Trey Amos, the promising second-year cornerback, is slated to return from IR in week five and is expected to have a featured role in the secondary. In the meantime, Robertson has emerged as a key piece for Washington after recording four pass breakups and an forced fumble in the same game, the first defender to do so in seven years. So, where does that leave the former Michigan product? Presumably off the field moving forward once Amos gets back healthy, or even make him a gameday inactive.
Options
If they don't feel comfortable that Sainristil can turn it around, they have options available in house. One option is to promote Fred Davis II, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound rookie who last played college football at Northwestern and impressed in training camp and preseason. Another option is Terrell Smith, a fourth-year veteran out of Minnesota, who played for the Chicago Bears from 2023 to 2025 and has starting experience; however, he hasn't played for the Bears since 2024 because he tore his patellar tendon in the 2025 preseason. If Washington opts to go outside the organization, they could sign a veteran cornerback like Tre'Davious White, Mike Hilton, or Adoree Jackson. Yet through three weeks, the best options may already be within the organization. Though Washington was not one of the primary teams in the mix, a trade for a cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is officially off the table after instead landing in the NFC East with the Dallas Cowboys parting with draft capital ahead of week four.
All in all, Sainristil still has the talent he flashed as a rookie, but he needs to build confidence in his craft and clarify his role in the defensive scheme. However, the non-negotiable thing he must address is his perceived lack of effort, which shows up on tape for everyone to see.
