Under head coach Dan Quinn, the Washington Commanders have preached a "next man up" mentality in the locker room. It's the reason Kain Medrano didn't hesitate when his number was called to replace Leo Chenal, who suffered a season-ending neck injury, against the Seattle Seahawks.

Ahead of Sunday's game, the second-year linebacker had yet to play a defensive snap in the NFL. He was designated as inactive in eight games last season, playing solely on special teams in the nine games he was active.

"Just waiting for my time," Medrano said of the preparation. "Just kind of ups and downs and just kind of trying to stay right in the middle and not get too up, too down. With last year, inactive, active, inactive, active, just being the same person every day. Energy, effort, being the same guy in the building every day. I finally got my chance, and I have to make the most out of my opportunities."

Medrano, who was drafted by Washington in the sixth round (No. 205) of the 2025 NFL Draft, made the most of his chance.

"It's just time to step up," Medrano said. "I prepared like I was gonna play all week as I do every week. So, I finally got my chance, and I just had to go in there, stay calm, and just make my plays."

The Commanders were in crunch time with just over four minutes to go and a three-point lead in the fourth quarter. Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold took the snap under center, rolling out to his right for the play-action before deciding instead to go with the checkdown option. Medrano read the play perfectly, undercutting Darnold's pass to AJ Barner.

"They kept hitting those checkdowns a couple times," Medrano said of what he saw from Seattle's offense on the play. "I had one or two missed tackles on some checkdowns, so I knew they were gonna come back to it, just didn't know when. And they happened to come back to it, and I was in the right place at the right time."

Medrano had one thought as he held onto the football, running 50 yards to the end zone: "Honestly, score. That was what I was thinking. Close game, gotta have a way to get some momentum back. I think that's what did it. So, I was just, 'get the ball in the end zone.'"

The play took Medrano back to his roots as a receiver. The 13th-ranked prospect out of Colorado, Medrano originally committed to UCLA as a wide receiver. He played sparingly as a freshman, so when then-coach Chip Kelly presented him with the option to play linebacker, he was hesitant but willing.

His offensive background and ability to read a play like a receiver but act as a defender is what separates Medrano from other linebackers.

"He's got great hands, like he's got a background as a receiver/DB in that spot," Quinn said of Medrano. "So, he's always somebody that we thought is on the ball and when he can deliver for the guys, that's a big deal. He had actually punched one out earlier this week in practice and we were kind of making a big deal about him and the ball. But to deliver on that one, that was what we needed, and I felt like the fourth down stop in the first half, for points and then that one obviously for points, that's probably the biggest difference in the game."

Medrano's interception ultimately swung the momentum in the Commanders' favor, earning them their first win of the season, 33-31. The victory also snapped Seattle's franchise record of 12-straight wins, and Medrano is the first Washington player to return an interception for a touchdown in a game against Seattle in franchise history.

"Getting after the ball makes a huge impact on the game," rookie linebacker Sonny Styles said. "There's probably some crazy percentage on the team who wins the turnover battle wins the game. Obviously, we know there's still stuff on the table that we got to fix. It's not a perfect game just because we got after the ball, but we just have to win the game, so that's what matters most."

Washington's defense generated three turnovers (two interceptions, one fumble recovery) in a single game for the first time since Week 6 of the 2023 season (24-16 win against the Atlanta Falcons). The takeaways are the first of the season for the Commanders, who hadn't recorded any in their previous two games.

"I don't think we did anything different throughout the week," Medrano said. "We preach 'get the ball, punch up the ball.' Ball is life. That's kind of the motto we live by. So, all week it was a point of emphasis just being more intentional with where we're punching and how we're punching. But I think, once one turns into two, turns into three, and that momentum just kind of rolls."

Medrano finished the game with a stellar stat line of five total tackles and one pass defensed, but the interception is what earned him a game ball.

"Your 1/11th," Medrano said.  "The plays are gonna come to you, but if we all do our 1/11th, then that's 11 out of 11, and we're all doing our jobs. And obviously, we see what happens when we do our 1/11th."

Medrano and the Commanders hope to continue their momentum into Week 4, taking on the Indianapolis Colts at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The gritty win improved Washington's record to 1-2, but more importantly, it sent a message of resiliency and perseverance down to the last drive.

"It was a good win because we had to earn it all the way down to the last drive," Styles said. "Got a lot of bodies down, some guys having to step up all over the place. I think that says a lot about the team. Being able to persevere through all the injuries we have, like, next man up mentality. No one feels bad for us. But we know there's still stuff on the field we got to fix. The win doesn't hide the things that need to be fixed, so we're just gonna keep stacking, keep getting better on to the next week."