Commanders sign replacement for retired offensive lineman

Commanders Land Veteran Tackle Niang Following Herbig's Retirement

Washington bolsters offensive line depth with familiar face.

The Washington Commanders have wasted no time finding a replacement for veteran guard Nate Herbig, who announced his retirement just yesterday. The team announced Wednesday the signing of 26-year-old offensive tackle Lucas Niang.

"We have signed T Lucas Niang," the Commanders tweeted, accompanied by a photo of Niang in uniform.

Niang, a 6-foot-6, 315-pound lineman, was a third-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2020 NFL draft after playing collegiately at TCU. Over his five seasons with the Chiefs, Niang appeared in 33 games, making nine starts. He spent most of the 2024 season on the practice squad before being released in November.

The signing is intriguing as Niang joins a crowded tackle room that already includes Laremy Tunsil, Josh Conerly Jr., Trent Scott and Andrew Wylie. Tunsil, Conerly and Wylie are considered locks for the 53-man roster, with Scott also having an excellent chance.

Niang's familiarity with Washington's offensive line coach, however, could be a factor. He was teammates with both Wylie and Nick Allegretti in Kansas City during their two Super Bowl championship runs.

With Herbig's departure, the battle for starting guard positions between Chris Paul, Julian Good-Jones and Michael Deiter intensifies. The question now becomes: how many offensive linemen will Washington ultimately keep when they trim the roster to 53 players next month?