Commanders fans finally get the Sam Cosmi injury news they craved

There were very few disappointments to emerge from a sensational campaign for the Washington Commanders in 2024. Arguably the biggest was a devastating injury to interior offensive lineman Sam Cosmi.

It's early days, but the latest reports surrounding the stud right guard's recovery couldn't be more encouraging.

Cosmi tore his ACL during Washington's divisional-round victory against the Detroit Lions. The Commanders haven't put a timeline on the recovery, but head coach Dan Quinn recently stated that everything is going according to plan.

Commanders' optimism is growing around Sam Cosmi's ACL recovery

This was a sentiment echoed by John Keim from ESPN in his latest update. The insider noted that Cosmi was moving well during the limited work he was given over Washington's offseason program. It's too soon to say what this means about his potential involvement in 2025, but it's a positive development nonetheless.

There's definite optimism about the pace of the recovery. What that means for the season is still a little bit early to say. There are still more markers along the way, but it's looking good for [Sam] Cosmi right now. Everything so far has been looking good. When you watch him do some agility work, he looks good. When you tear an ACL, a lot of the time it's the movement from side to side, but I think being a lineman helps him in this situation. You don't have to do maybe as much as a skill [position] guy does. On the other hand, you've got to rely on those knees and legs to get yourself some power. But so far, so good for Sam Cosmi.John Keim

Erring on the side of caution remains prudent. Cosmi is a pivotal part of the team's future. Rushing him back and increasing the risk of further damage is simply not an option.

The Commanders have enough to cope without Cosmi next season. If he comes back quicker than anticipated, it would be a massive bonus. But if it needs some extra time to fully heal, that's fine too.

Washington invested heavily in its offensive line this offseason. Adam Peters traded for five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil and spent the No. 29 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft on Josh Conerly Jr. This could be a prolific bookend tackle tandem, which allows Brandon Coleman to move inside along the way.

Nick Allegretti will likely go to right guard, although Andrew Wylie could also fill the void until Cosmi returns. Neither compares to the right guard's influence, but it's not a bad insurance policy by any stretch of the imagination.

The sooner Cosmi returns, the better. And it's starting to feel like we might see the former Texas standout at some stage next season.