The Washington Commanders' 2024 season will live long in the memory of a fanbase that was in desperate need of good fortune.
But after a 12-5 season and a trip to the NFC Championship game, general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn weren't content with that; they wanted more.
So the franchise traded for Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil to give Jayden Daniels two stud weapons at key positions. They are surrounding their young quarterback with whatever he needs to take the next leap in Year 2 and potentially go one better than they did in 2024.
Optimism hasn't generally been found among Commanders' fans over the years, but it has returned with a vengeance, and for CBS Sports, the big reason is the front office's willingness to give Daniels everything he needs to be successful.
"The Commanders were one of the feel-good stories from 2024 as the downtrodden franchise enjoyed a remarkable turnaround spearheaded by the arrival of Jayden Daniels, who led them to the NFC Championship," CBS Sports writes.
"This offseason, Washington did a masterful job of continuing to build around its young QB by adding star left tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Deebo Samuel via trade. They also added offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. and corner Trey Amos at the NFL Draft. All these moves seem to be solidifying the Commanders as a force in the NFC for the foreseeable future."
Now, the big question is, will Samuel and Tunsil be able to hold up their end of the bargain? Daniels was sacked 47 times last season (sixth-most), plus another four in the playoffs.
Can Tunsil help with that? In truth, he has to.
Terry McLaurin was a one-man band in the passing game for Kliff Kingsbury. Enter Samuel, the ultimate gadget weapon, who can be devastating as a receiver or a runner. We imagine Kingsbury will use Samuel in a variety of ways to get the best out of him.
The Commanders feel poised to have a good season under Daniels, but this is all predicated on him taking another leap and not having a sophomore slump, plus Samuel and Tunsil pulling their weight.
If all of that happens, then much like 2024, the 2025 season could be a fun ride for Commanders fans.
