A plethora of injuries prevented the Washington Commanders from capitalizing on last year’s run to the NFC title game.
Turn out the lights, the party’s over.
With a little help from Willie Nelson, former NFL quarterback and narrator Don Meredith would routinely herald closing time before it was cool on the original editions of Monday Night Football. Alas for all but one of football’s 32 finest, it’s over before the desired Vince Lombardi Trophy hoist, as the season, or at least the championship-contending portion of it, has come to an end.
With that in mind, TeamFB7 goes over the season that was for the fallen, looking at what was, what is, and what could be. We return to the NFC with the Washington Commanders next.
Team: Washington Commanders
Record: 5-12
Date of Playoff Death: Dec. 7
Last Playoff Season: 2024
What Went Wrong
Each of the 18 teams eliminated before the playoff bracket was formed went through a painful season. In the Commanders’ case, it was quite literal.
The Washington infirmary stayed quite packed this season, as franchise faces Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin (the latter only briefly taking the field after a dramatic summer centered around his contract) missed a combined 20 games.
Complementary pieces from last year’s NFC Championship Game run (i.e. Dorance Armstrong Jr., Sam Cosmi, Austin Ekeler, Marshon Lattimore) were also forced to sit out for extended periods, derailing the follow-up to last year’s success. With all that and more sidelined, Washington lost ten of its last twelve games after a 3-2 start, dooming it to its eighth losing season in the last nine tours.
The bandages might’ve bandaged for what the Commanders missed out on in 2025: beyond the ailments, federal splurges also failed to pan out after the Commanders went spending as runner-up lords of the NFC. Some, again, were related to injuries: New England edge transplant Deatrich Wise Jr., for example, appeared in but two games after a season-ending quad injury, and that’s even taking into account the further losses of fellow new arrivals Trey Amos and Will Harris.
Others, however, simply never found a groove: Deebo Samuel’s latest attempt to recapture his 2021 magic, for example, failed to yield anything lasting and Latimore continued to struggle in his own limited playing time.
The department of defense also took a step back: running in the middle of the pack during last year’s prosperous run, Washington was dead last in yardage allowed and near the bottom in several other categories, including the second-longest average drive in the league. Defensive duties saw regression from both retained favorites (i.e. Frankie Luvu) and expensive newcomers (Jonathan Jones) alike, with the lapses becoming more glaring without a healthy offense to bail the unit out. With results failing to justifying massive price tags following the starters (Daron Payne alone was $26 million cap hit), playcalling duties were eventually revoked from Joe Whitt Jr., leading second-year boss Dan Quinn to take over in the latter portions of the doomed season.
Less than a calendar year removed from an appearance in the NFL’s final four, Washington is engaging in a soft reboot of sorts: Whitt, one of many who followed Quinn from Dallas, was fully relieved of duty while offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury worked out his own exit to potentially re-enter the head coaching fray.
Silver Linings
— The Commanders’ plethora of young talent got a productive gap year even with Daniels out for a good part of the season. Headlining the new guard was seventh-round darling Jacory Crosky-Merritt, who became just the third such selection in league history to break 800 yards in his freshman campaign. Second-round choice Amos flashed potential before a broken fibula ended his debut while Jaylin Lane became a force in the return game while serving as Samuel spell option in the slot. The draft has been a strong area for general manager Adam Peters, who just wrapped his second year at the helm.
— For all the rightful flack the Commanders took about shopping for aged veterans in the offseason as of late, some actually worked in their favor: Laremy Tunsil (signed through next year) turned into a solid blocking foundation after a trade with Houston while Von Miller led the team in sacks (9.5) and has expressed interest in returning as a free agent. The mix of old and new on the line has the Commanders particularly excited about the future. While Cosmi, Tunsil, Tyler Biadaz all dealt with injuries at various points, the team was pleased with the way first-round tackle Josh Conerly improved in the latter stages of the year after some initial growing pains.
Looking Ahead
Notable Free Agents: RB Austin Ekeler, TE Zach Ertz, CB Noah Igbinoghene, CB Jonathan Jones, QB Marcus Mariota, EDGE Jacob Martin, RB Jeremy McNichols, LB Von Miller, OG Chris Paul, WR Deebo Samuel, LB Bobby Wagner, P Tress Way, DL Deatrich Wise Jr.
Potential Cap Cuts: DL Daron Payne ($22.3 million*), OT Laremy Tunsil ($21.3 million*), CB Marshon Lattimore ($18.5 million), DE Dorance Armstrong Jr. ($9.05 million*), LB Frankie Luvu ($8.9 million*), OG Nick Alegretti ($6 million*)
(*—post June 1)
Signing several veterans to a series of short-term deals in an attempt to immediately capitalize on last year’s success leaves the Commanders with plenty of free agents though some of their major difference-makers are still on rookie deals. Even so, Washington only has 35 men under contract for 2026, so expect another busy offseason.
With Daniels back in tow (and Samuel set to enter what could probably be another tumultuous free agency session), one would assume that the priority would be surrounding him with weaponry. But it’s clear from this season that Washington needs to improve its defense: as inspiring as it is to see that Miller Time still provides great defensive taste at age 36, he probably shouldn’t be a contender’s top pass rusher in 2026.
Washington does not hold its second-round pick, having traded it in the Tunsil deal. What they do with another high draft pick, namely the seventh choice as part of April’s opening round, could determine if they immediately leap back into contention or wallow in another rebuild. The complete shutdown amid the losses of Daniels and McLaurin show that the Commanders desperately need to shore up their depth. Later picks and under-the-radar signings could come up as they seek offensive depth under a new boss.
Is There Hope?
For better and worse, Daniels is the Commanders’ MVP no matter what their record is. Perhaps that’s apparent in the moves they’ve already made: the Daniels whisperer Kingsbury is moving on but the Commanders immediately promoted David Blough from the quarterback coaching room in an apparent attempt to establish some continuity.
On paper, that’s hardly anything to get upset about: injuries don’t take away the fact that Daniels posted one of the most prolific seasons in NFL history, so there’s no doubt an implication that he has a knack for the professional game. If the Commanders are going to commit to the Daniels bit with championship aspirations, however, there can’t regime changes that resemble changes of residency on nearby Pennsylvania Avenue. This is a franchise, after all, that has not appeared on consecutive playoff brackets since its last championship heyday in 1990-92.
Already blessed with the sixth-best cap space tally going into the offseason, the Commanders can create a bigger bank by bidding farewell to some veteran names. With the big numbers attached to major personnel, it feels like almost everyone not named Daniels or Quinn has their metropolitan futures on the line, though the latter will likely be on the shortlist for the favorites to be fired in-season next time around. Daniels is undoubtedly the man of the future. What the Commanders do this offseason could well determine exactly how long that hereafter is.
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