NFL Notebook: 2025 Washington Commanders Preview
In the summer of 2023, the Washington football team finally got new ownership, when the awful Dan Snyder era ended and Josh Harris bought the team. One year later, Harris hired a proven winner in Dan Quinn for his head coach. Then the Commanders drafted Jayden Daniels with the second overall pick to be their quarterback. The new regime paid immediate dividends. Washington shocked the NFL world with a 12-5 record and a trip to the NFC Championship Game. Now, they’re looking to take the next step.
DANIELS’ BREAKOUT ROOKIE SEASON
Daniels had an amazing rookie year. He completed 69 percent of his passes, and his yards-per-attempt was a respectable 7.4. Even more impressive, given his youth, was the comparatively few mistakes. Daniels only threw nine interceptions on the year and finished with a 1.9 percent interception rate. And even more impressive than that was the poise he showed in clutch situations, clearly demonstrating the intangible “winner” quality that every team seeks in its quarterback.
Terry McLaurin was the preferred target, as he finished with 82 catches for almost 1,100 yards. The defense had inside linebacker Bobby Wagner to set the tone and provide the leadership that came from his years in Seattle with Pete Carroll and the Legion of Boom.
But what all of that papered over was that the Commanders were a team with a lot of flaws. They still only finished 18th in the league for points allowed. While the offense finished a healthy fifth for points scored, the offensive line could be spotty and there wasn’t a ton of depth at the receiver spot. Getting the support pieces necessary for sustained success was the priority this offseason.
HELP IS ON THE WAY
Washington made some key veteran additions. They traded for Deebo Samuel to give Daniels another target. Deebo’s last three seasons in San Francisco were marred by injuries, but if he can stay healthy, he’s only 29-years-old and can be a versatile weapon.
Defensively, Washington signed outside linebacker Von Miller. The great pass rusher might be 36-years-old now, but Pro Football Focus still graded him 11th out of 119 OLBs in the league last season. What he may have lost in dynamism is being made up for with savvy. Miller joins Wagner in giving Washington veteran linebackers with Super Bowl rings.
To keep Daniels healthy and upright, Washington signed left tackle Laremy Tunsil. They used a first-round draft pick on another tackle, Josh Conerly. Tunsil and Conerly join a line that already has a quality center in Tyler Biadsz.
OUTLOOK
I think replicating last year’s 12 regular season wins and NFC Championship Game appearance is going to be too big of an ask for this year. Washington had something of a magical ride, as epitomized by their epic win over Chicago on October 27. But that doesn’t mean I think the success was a fluke.
I like the personnel upgrades. I really like the recognition by the front office that those upgrades were needed, something that suggests an organization living in reality not media hype.
The kind of magic that Washington rode last year comes and goes—if the Commanders could simply win 10 games and make the playoffs without all the fairy dust, it would suggest a team that’s here to stay. Betting markets are in line with those expectations, with an Over/Under of 9.5.