After re-signing with the organization, the Washington Commanders offensive lineman Nick Allegretti talks about him being "ready to compete" at center in 2026.
Two days into the legal tampering window with free agency set to officially begin today, the Washington Commanders still have a laundry list of roster needs.
The addition of Odafe Oweh becomes a big part of the pass rush solution for Washington in 2026 while Tim Settle gives Washington a capable nose tackle who can also play defensive tackle in Daronte Jones' scheme, adding versatility along the interior defensive line. The addition of Arik Robertson adds a experienced, versatile defensive back who is set to take over in the nickel.
Tuesday marked a largely quiet day for Washington with the signing of Linebacker Leo Chenal arguably marking the most impactful addition so far.
Still, general manager Adam Peters has a longer list of questions than answers for 2026. That includes the offensive line.
Washington opted to release Tyler Biadasz, who became the primary starting center over the past two seasons, and appeared poised to become. player in the market. The Commanders were reportedly among the teams in the mix with Tyler Linderbaum, who opted to sign with the Las Vegas Raiders, while also sniffing around former Titans center Lloyd Cushenberry, who remains unsigned. Washington already entered free agency with a vacancy at guard with Chris Paul now a free agent for the first time in his career.
But Washington has in-house options at both positions, including a center on the roster with experience now officially back after Nick Allegretti agreed to a two-year extension.
"Obviously I'm coming in here to compete. We got a lot of stuff to figure out, obviously over the next obviously over the next few days, but we added some more pieces so I know that I can play center, right guard, left guard," Nick Allegretti told reporters on Monday. "Whatever it is, I want to compete for a spot."
Allegretti returns with 34 career starts and 107 appearances, though the bulk of those have been at guard where he stepped in as the starting left guard during the 2024 season. Across nearly 1,600 pass blocking snaps in his career, he's allowed five sacks and 13 pressures. His versatility would become valuable over the final two weeks of the 2025 season after Tyler Biadasz suffering a leg injury that sidelined him the rest of the way, leading Allegretti to become the starter in the season finale against Philadelphia. It ended allowing no sacks or pressures in 34 pass blocking snaps, drawing his second-best PFF grade of the season.
Now back for year three, Allegretti knows what he could add to the center position if he does get the nod as the 2026 starter.
"I think the biggest element of it, for me, is the leadership role that centers are almost required to have. Before Jay gets the play call, gets in the huddle, it's my huddle," he said.
"That's the position I've always played. I was a center my entire childhood, all of high school. And then at Illinois, in the last seven years in the league, I've always kind of been in that, whether I was starting or not, it was always kind of the backup center. So I love that role. I'm comfortable in it. And if that's open, that's an opportunity we'd love to compete for that."
Allegretti will also have some familiarity to lean on with his coaching staff given both Darnell Stapleton and Shane Toub were promoted to take over the offensive line with Toub drawing the assistant tag under Stapleton.
"[Stapleton has] been awesome the last two years. And Shane, I've known since I was 20 years old at Illinois. So really excited for both of them. Stape definitely deserve this opportunity and Shane as well."
Returning alongside Andrew Wylie for the sixth time in the last seven seasons serves as the cherry on top.
"I was told a long time ago by an old Illinois player that played in the NFL and basically said, like it's hard to make friends in the NFL. You're not going to be able to make a lot of them. So the fact that [I'm] able to have made quite a few friends in NFL, which fortunate enough to be around long enough, but to make a really good friend like that, that I consider family, pretty special," Allegretti said.