The prospect of arriving late causes most people stress, although offensive lineman Lucas Niang isn't paying it any mind. Having signed with Washington on July 30, the foregone Kansas City Chief arrived in Ashburn, Virginia, for training camp a week after his teammates.
In Niang's mind, though, he's right on time to make an impact and secure his place on the Washington Commanders' 53-man roster. His delayed appearance, however, does mean playing catch up in addition to vying for a spot on the team's roster.
Luckily, the former third-round pick out of TCU knows the right people to help him get up to speed. His arrival to Washington marked a reunion with fellow linemen Nick Allegretti and Andrew Wylie. All three were responsible for protecting quarterback Patrick Mahomes with the Kansas City Chiefs during the 2021 season. Allegretti and Wylie provide Niang with familiar faces and a sense of comfort most mid-training camp signings don't have.
"It's easier to ask questions, I know who to go for," Niang said of his conversations with Allegretti and Wylie after his first day in Ashburn. "We've dealt with each other before, so we know how each other operates."
The Washington Commanders were back on the field for Day Two of training camp. Check out all the best photos from the morning.
Because each NFL team calls plays a bit differently, Niang is essentially learning an entirely new football vocabulary in joining the Commanders, despite having run the same plays. Allegretti and Wylie's experience playing in Kansas City has been key to Niang's quicker-than-usual ability to pick up Washington's verbiage when it comes to offensive play calling.
"The nice thing is, especially if he may have to play tackle or guard, he's got both me and Wylie who know how he speaks," Allegretti added. "We know all of his language from Kansas City, so it's easy to say, this play is like that play or this play is like that. So just give him the comparison, because football plays are pretty damn similar. You can't block things that many ways, so just giving him a correlation so he understands the footwork and calls and everything."
Niang took snaps during special teams drills during his first training camp practice with the Commanders on Thursday. He spent the majority of the time observing team drills and chatting with offensive line coach Bobby Johnson. The New Canaan, Connecticut, native continued to ramp up for his second full practice Sunday, taking offensive snaps at right tackle with both Sam Hartman and Josh Johnson at quarterback.
"It was dope, man," Niang said of his first impressions of training camp. "I like the facility; I like the guys so far. They seem to take care of their players here; everything's definitely been good. I'm ready to get rollin'."
Niang was drafted to the Chiefs in 2020, one year after Allegretti, and the two won back-to-back Super Bowls with Kansas City in 2022 and 2023. Allegretti signed with Washington in 2024, keeping up with his trend of being one year ahead of Niang, so the two have spent a considerable amount of time on the field together.
"I spent maybe four years with him in Kansas City," Allegretti said of Niang following Sunday's training camp practice. "He's a good dude and I'm excited for him to get another opportunity. Really, really talented player. It's tough showing up a week into camp, but he'll be alright."
The former third-round pick out of TCU appeared in 33 games and notched nine starts -- seven at right tackle and two at left tackle -- during his rookie season in 2021. One of the biggest moments in his career happened when Niang came into Super Bowl LVII against the Eagles, replacing Wylie at right tackle. In blocking for Mahomes, Niang helped facilitate a play that ended in a Skyy Moore touchdown.
The play was pivotal in the Chiefs' tight 38-25 victory over the Eagles and led Niang, who is French-American, to become the first French national to win the Super Bowl. Representing France on the international football map is important to Niang, which is part of the reason why he is pushing to make the Commanders' final roster.
"I gotta put on for the French and get another one," Niang said with a smile.
Despite earning two championship rings, Niang's full potential in the League has been limited from the beginning. After rehabbing a hip injury at the end of his collegiate career, he opted out of the 2020 season due to the Covid-19 pandemic. His promising start in 2021 ended prematurely with a torn patellar tendon in Week 19, and the injury pushed Niang down on the Chiefs' depth chart until he was ultimately released by the team in November.
However, at just 26 years old, Niang still has a lot left in the tank. His signing adds depth to the Commander's offensive line after guard Nate Herbig announced his retirement. Standing at 6-foot-6 and weighing in at 315 pounds, Niang has the size to switch to a position on the interior line at guard or center if needed.
"He looks good, and he showed up in really good shape," Allegretti said. "He's always had really good feet. That's kind of been his forte. And obviously super, super long arms."
As he progresses through training camp and into the first preseason game next week at New England, Niang is focused on taking advantage of every opportunity as he fights for a spot on Washington's 53-man roster, and arriving late to camp just might turn out to be opportune timing.
"My goal is to be the best I can be everyday," Niang said. "That's it."
