The Washington Commanders started the complete overhaul of their defense by firing defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. immediately after going 5-12 in 2025 — a year in which they started the season as Super Bowl contenders.
That Whitt Jr. got fired was expected. Another bad year for the Commanders could mean head coach Dan Quinn, who made his name as an NFL defensive coordinator, will be gone as well.
If the Commanders do somehow right the ship in 2026, there’s a good chance we can credit a bevy of workmanlike, under-the-radar signings on defense as the reason why, with ESPN’s Seth Walder singling out the signing of free-agent safety Nick Cross as the offseason move he liked the most.
The Commanders stole Cross away from the Indianapolis Colts on a 2-year, $13 million contract after he started all 17 games each of the last 2 seasons.
“Washington opened its offseason by firing both offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.” Walder wrote on June 30. ” … although the Commanders massively disappointed by going 5-12 in 2025, the defense was the biggest culprit, ranking 30th in EPA per play. As far as personnel, the Commanders made moves to address their older, underperforming defense. They brought in other middle-class, free agent defenders in Cross, CB Amik Robertson and LB Leo Chenal. They also selected linebacker Sonny Styles with the No. 7 pick in the draft.”
Nick Cross Used Elite Speed to Lift Draft Stock
Cross was a standout safety on some pretty average teams at Maryland, but propelled himself into a 3rd-round pick (No. 96 overall) by the Colts in the 2022 NFL draft by running the 40-yard dash in a blazing 4.34 seconds at the NFL scouting combine.
“Cross operated as the bouncer of the Maryland defense, playing with the aggression and explosiveness to throw opponents out of the club,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation in 2022. “He is a chase player who seeks to make a statement upon impact and has impressive stopping power near the line or as an open-field tackler. He’s a tight-hipped, linear mover, so flipping and flying are not his strong suit. He’s capable of matching with most flavors of tight end and will be most comfortable in coverages that allow him to play with a downhill trigger. He has the temperament, size and toughness to become an eventual starter in the league.”
In his 1st 4 seasons, Cross has been incredibly durable as well — he’s played in 67 out of 68 regular-season games despite making just 4 starts over his 1st 2 seasons.
Since becoming a full-time starter for the Colts, Cross has been a stats-producing machine. Over the last 2 seasons, he’s had over 130 tackles each year, including 4 interceptions, 10 pass deflections, 11 TFL, and 2 forced fumbles.
Commanders Will Have New-Look Defense in 2026
When the Commanders open the regular season on September 13 on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles, there’s a good chance their defense could have 6 or 7 new starters, including Cross.
“The Commanders’ secondary was way too inconsistent last year and missed too many tackles,” ESPN’s John Keim wrote in March. “They also needed to improve their starting safeties. Will Harris missed eight games with a broken leg in 2024 but the coaches remain high on him; Quan Martin was benched late in the year. Cross provides the Commanders with another key piece for the defense. He’s fast (4.34 in the 40-yard dash) and young (24). He started the past two years as the Colts’ strong safety and earned a reputation as a blitzer and stout run defender — good news for a defense that ranked 30th versus the run a year ago.”
Along with Cross, likely new starters for the Commanders include a rookie, in No. 7 overall pick Styles, as well as 2 new edge rushers in Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson, Chenal at linebacker, and Robertson at cornerback.
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