Mike Sainristil walked out of Ford Field in January 2025 with two interceptions and the look of a long-term answer for the Washington Commanders. Almost two years later, the third-year cornerback is trying to win his job back, and the defense around him just let a 14-point fourth-quarter lead get away against the Giants at Northwest Stadium.
The drop-off has been steady. Sainristil allowed a 107.8 passer rating in coverage last season despite a team-high four interceptions, and that number has climbed to 144.3 through five games this year, per Pro Football Reference. Dan Quinn pulled him from the starting lineup in Week 3 in favor of veteran Rasul Douglas, and ESPN’s Bill Barnwell put him on his list of hot-seat players entering Week 6.
How the rookie promise slipped away
Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
It’s easy to forget how fast he arrived. Washington drafted Sainristil in the second round in 2024 to play the slot, then moved him outside as a rookie. He started 16 games and finished ninth in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. Both playoff picks came in the 45-31 divisional-round win in Detroit that sent the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game.
He didn’t hide from what went wrong in 2025. “I was in a spot where I was just pressing too much, trying to do too much,” Sainristil told ABC7 in July. This season started worse. Philadelphia’s Dontayvion Wicks tracked a deep ball over him for a 64-yard catch in Week 1, and his 29.1 overall grade at Pro Football Focus ranks last among 102 graded cornerbacks. Quinn still backed him publicly in mid-September. “I’ve got a lot of confidence in Mike. I really do. I love him,” Quinn said before facing Dallas.
Sainristil played 48% of the defensive snaps Sunday as the nickel, ahead of Fabian Moreau, according to Barnwell. The pressure is building in Ashburn, though. Washington designated Trey Amos to return to practice last week, opening a 21-day window for the 2025 second-round pick, who fractured his fibula in Week 10 last season and later hurt his ankle in camp. Amos was ruled out against the Giants, but once he’s cleared, Sainristil will need to make the most of every snap he gets.
More on the Washington Commanders
- Commanders Named Landing Spot for Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh’s Odd Man Out at Quarterback
- Washington Commanders Have an Adjustment Problem They Can’t Ignore
- Is Dan Quinn’s Job Safe After the Commanders’ Overtime Clock Disaster?
- Jayden Daniels Must Own His Role in Commanders’ Botched Finish
