BigBear.ai Training Center at Commanders Park is experiencing a first tomorrow as it welcomes the Miami Dolphins for a joint practice. And, no, this isn't one of those cutesy "firsts" where there was a joint practice held here when the facility had a different name. The records show (and team personnel close to the matter say) that tomorrow will be the first time an official NFL joint practice will be held on the Ashburn grounds.

A lot of logistics need to be hammered out to successfully host a joint practice for an NFL organization – everything from perhaps the more straightforward hotel accommodation details to how a team will move to and from the practice fields to temporary on-site work spaces for traveling support staff. Most facilities weren't designed to host two full NFL teams, so communication and planning are key. Visiting teams take site visits to the hosting organization's facility months in advance, and regular meetings are held to discuss each team's role (i.e. equipment, football video, athletic training) and how everything should be executed. All of this means teams are likely to host just one joint practice per preseason.

This first for the Commanders was supposed to take place last year. Washington was slated to host Baltimore ahead of the teams' final preseason game. Both teams decided to call it off, however, citing logistical challenges and added player strain. When individuals in football operations were putting together the plan for last August, they knew Ashburn had not hosted a joint practice. That fact presented some challenges, but there was a lot of knowledge brought to the table from those involved in putting on joint practices in Richmond, while working for other franchises and from when the Commanders were joint practice visitors (which they were in 2025, 2024 and 2023).

A lot of the heavy lifting on creating the joint practice hosting plan was done in 2025, so in some ways there was a "rinse and repeat" mentality when the Dolphins were put on the schedule for this year's home joint practice. The extra golf carts have been rented. The areas designated for all the Miami staff members coming up have been prepared. Now, it's about execution.

The goal, above all, is to be good hosts. Ultimately, that looks like creating conditions where both teams are able to maximize the experience of playing against an opponent in a controlled environment.

"We're excited to have those guys up here. We really are. We're gonna throw a great practice on Wednesday," Quinn said.