The Washington Commanders added eight regular season wins to their total from 2023 to 2024, a franchise record for most wins added in a single season.
A lot of that was due to the performance of Commanders' quarterback Jayden Daniels, who was drafted by general manager Adam Peters, who worked side-by-side with head coach Dan Quinn to ensure the entire franchise was locked in on the types of players it wanted.
Of course, neither of those men is likely here without the new ownership group leading Washington, led by managing partner Josh Harris. All of it fell into place to create a season for the history books here, and it has the franchise back on the right path, according to former franchise cornerback Champ Bailey.
“You have to get the right players, but in order to get the right players, you got to have the right people picking them,” Bailey said in a recent interview with RG. “I think once Josh Harris and that group took over, you add Magic Johnson to the mix, you have a winning formula. They've proven that they can draft very well, picking up a quarterback like Jayden Daniels. There were other distractions out there and picks you could have had. He's been the perfect fit for that city.”
Bailey also discussed the joy in seeing the fan base back in full force.
As the team struggled throughout the years to win games and maintain any sort of positive reputation as a result of toxic leadership at the very top of the organization, the fans never went away though they may have fallen quiet.
With the rejuvenated product on and off the field, Washington fans felt enabled once again to show their allegiance proudly. The result was full stands at home inside Northwest Stadium and a strong presence on the road in cities like Tampa, Florida, and Detroit, Michigan.
"They've been loyal all this time -- the 20 or so years of misery that they've lived through. They've stuck with that franchise, and it's probably the most loyal and one of the undervalued fan bases in professional sports," Bailey said. "I think people are going to start taking notice. It's good to see them win.”
Bailey spent the first five years of his NFL career in Washington after being drafted in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He was named to four straight Pro Bowls from 2000-2003 and twice earned All-Pro honors with the team.
His legendary career continued after his time here was finished, with the Denver Broncos, where Bailey earned eight more trips to the Pro Bowl, another All-Pro nod, and was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019.
