The Washington Commanders will start their third center of the season on Sunday against the Cowboys in four games. Starting center Chase Roullier was injured at the end of Washington’s Week 2 loss to the Detroit Lions, and backup Wes Schweitzer is out Sunday with a concussion.
Roullier’s injury led Washington to look for a veteran on the free-agent market, and it led them to 29-year-old Nick Martin. A former second-round pick out of Notre Dame in 2016, Martin spent his first five NFL seasons with the Houston Texans, starting 62 games.
He signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021, appearing in all 17 games, but did not start. Martin signed with the New Orleans Saints in July but was released during final cuts.
With Martin scheduled to make his first start since 2020, Washington head coach Ron Rivera is confident in the veteran lineman.
“Smart football player,” Rivera said of Martin. “He’s done a nice job of picking up what we do. He’s had over 60 starts in this league, so there is no concern there. He understands the game. He is very athletic. Great hand placement, and like I said, he’s picked up what we do very quickly.”
Martin’s first start is against a good Dallas defensive front, led by DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons.
“More so than anything else, just really getting the calls out and playing what they see,” Rivera said when asked about the challenge of facing the Cowboys’ front.
The Commanders hope Martin proves to be the guy for the remainder of the season with Roullier presumably sidelined. Schweitzer is best suited to play guard, where he could slide over and replace Trai Turner once he’s cleared to return.
