These are some rough times for Washington Commanders starting cornerback Mike Sainristil — and his struggles might signal not only the end of his time as a starter but the end of his time with the Commanders.
He’s been that bad in his team’s 0-2 start to the 2026 regular season.
“WORST DEFENSIVE PLAYER IN THE NFL?” Polymarket Football wrote on its official X account. “Commanders CB Mike Sainristil is DEAD LAST among 96 qualified cornerbacks per PFF. PFF grade: 31.2.”
Sainristil, a 2024 2nd-round pick (No. 50 overall), has struggled mightily since a breakout season as a rookie.
Things could get really ugly for the Commanders and Sainristil in Week 3 as they’re matched up against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year.
“What on earth has happened to Mike Sainristil?” NFL analyst Sam Monson wrote on his official X account.
“I really want to feel hopeful for the game tomorrow, but Mike Sainristil, Jeremy Reaves, and Quan Martin is the worst secondary in the NFL,” Commanders reporter Josh Taylor wrote on his official X account on September 26. “Could get ugly quick.”
Mike Sainristil Called ‘Unplayable’ After Week 1 Loss
Sainristil seemed like the worst player on the field in a 24-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1 in which Philly wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks cooked Sainristil for several big plays, including a touchdown in which Sainristil appeared to be playing zone defense while the rest of his team was in man coverage.
To put it mildly, Sainristil’s play raised red flags for many people.
“Tay Wicks had Mike Sainristil in HELL,” The Philly Pod’s Victor Williams wrote on his official X account.
“Mike Sainristil is a liability,” Taylor wrote on his official X account. “Two biggest plays of the game have been right at him. He’s reaching unplayable status. Bring in Terrell Smith ASAP.”
“The Mike Sainristil experiment should be complete,” Commanders Wire wrote on X. “He is not good. Go ahead and block us, Mikey. Truth hurts.”
“These type of plays from CB Mike Sainristil cannot continue to occur in a crucial year,” Commanders fan account Jay Daniels MVP wrote on X.
Mike Sainristil Took ‘Major Step Backwards’ in 2025
Sainristil was a revelation for the Commanders as a rookie in 2024, with 16 starts in 17 games to go with 93 tackles, 2 interceptions, 14 pass deflections, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery.
He ended the year looking like 1 of the NFL’s elite as the Commanders advanced to the NFC Championship Game for the 1st time since 1991 — most notably with 2 interceptions in an upset win over the No. 1 seed Detroit Lions in the NFC Divisional Round.
The follow-up to that brilliance — for both player and team — was difficult to stomach.
The Commanders went 5-12 in 2025 after going 12-5 in 2024, and Sainristil got torched by opposing teams over and over.
Commanders Starter Called ‘NFL’s Worst Defensive Player’