Commanders' Dan Quinn puts his stamp of approval on one defender

The Washington Commanders like safety Quan Martin a lot. Although the current regime didn't spend a second-round pick on Martin, Washington loved his potential when they inherited him in 2024 ahead of his second season. In 2024, Martin had a good year under new head coach Dan Quinn. So, ahead of the 2025 season, former defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. said Martin could be one of the best safeties in the NFL. Quinn echoes similar sentiments. Things didn’t go as planned, as Martin struggled last season. He was even benched at times late in the season. His future looked questionable. But when the Commanders hired Daronte Jones as the new defensive coordinator, Martin got a new lease on life. A former secondary coach with the Minnesota Vikings, Jones praised Martin multiple times in his introductory press conference. It was clear that last season would not be held against him, or other Washington defenders who regressed, like Frankie Luvu and Mike Sainristil. All would receive a clean slate with Jones. When training camp began, Luvu immediately looked like the player from 2024. Sainristil also looked much more confident. Martin, however, was quieter, leading some to wonder if he could be on the roster bubble with the Commanders’ logjam at safety. Then, in Washington’s first preseason game against Miami, Martin had an interception. He also had a key run stop. After that game, Quinn praised Martin specifically. On Saturday, Martin had another interception in Washington’s preseason loss at Detroit. On Monday, Quinn met with the media and clearly gave Martin his stamp of approval. “To see Quan really express himself over the last two games and a number of practices, you can feel his comfort level in the system coming together,” Quinn said. “And he’s been such a selfless teammate, so it’s not surprising to see him putting the work in and seeing the rewards from that.” Does that sound like a player on the bubble? Washington will keep no more than five safeties. Nick Cross is the starter at one spot, while Martin and Jeremy Reaves are battling for the other starting spot. Regardless of who starts, both will play. Percy Butler and Tyler Owens also star on special teams, and the Commanders seem intent to use Owens more on defense in 2026. There are your five safeties. Will Harris, signed in the 2025 offseason, appears to be the odd man out. If you watch Washington’s first two preseason games, Harris has had his struggles. All 32 NFL teams must trim rosters down to 53 players by Sunday at 6:00 p.m. ET. This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders' Dan Quinn puts his stamp of approval on one defender