The Washington Commanders find themselves in an unfamiliar place headed into the start of training camp, with rookies reporting on July 18 and veterans reporting on July 23 in Ashburn, Virginia.
What’s so unfamiliar? The Commanders are being praised for their offseason moves — not something anyone associated with the franchise can relate to for the last few decades.
The Athletic’s Mike Jones put the Commanders on his list of offseason “winners and losers” in the “winners” column on June 18 — one of five teams he singled out for praise.
“The positive offseason tally marks abound for Washington,” Jones wrote. “Not only did (general manager) Adam Peters and (head coach) Dan Quinn identify key veterans to help instill a new mindset, they also found pieces that will lead to improved effectiveness in key areas. That’s especially true on defense; linebackers Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu will lead the way. With the No. 2 pick of the draft, the Commanders snatched up Jayden Daniels, who has the potential to solve the organization’s long-standing need for a franchise quarterback. It finally feels like adults are running the operation in Washington.”
Changes for Commanders Started at the Top
The Commanders got three new faces for arguably the three most important spots in the organization following a 2023 season in which the team went 4-13 — general manager Adam Peters, head coach Dan Quinn and quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Peters comes to the Commanders after three years as the assistant general manager for the San Francisco 49ers, including an NFC championship in 2023.
Peters has been a part of three Super Bowl-winning teams in his career — twice as a scout for the New England Patriots following the 2003 and 2004 seasons and once as the assistant director of college scouting for the Denver Broncos following the 2015 season.
Quinn spent the last three seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, leading the NFL in takeaways each season. Previous to that, Quinn was the head coach for the Atlanta Falcons from 2015 to 2020 and on the sideline as the Falcons blew the biggest lead in Super Bowl history after they were up 28-3 against the Patriots with 2:12 remaining in the third quarter of Super Bowl LI.
Quinn has also won a Super Bowl in his career, as defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks following the 2013 season.
All Roads Lead to Daniels as Franchise Savior
While Peters and Quinn might be doing and saying all the right things for the Commanders off the field, it will eventually come down to the product the team trots out for its regular-season opener on Sept. 8 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Commanders have already turned over 57 percent of the roster from their 2023 team, the most in the NFL. Even with that, all eyes will be pointed directly at how Daniels performs as the presumed starter ahead of veteran backup Marcus Mariota, who was signed to a 1-year, $6 million contract in March 2024.
Daniels could be one of the NFL’s elite dual-threat quarterbacks from the moment he takes the field. Daniels led the NCAA in total yards (4,946) and set the NCAA single-season passer rating record (208.0) at LSU in 2023 on the way to winning the Heisman Trophy.
