The Commanders are looking to build on a sensational campaign.
The Washington Commanders had to sit and watch their division rival Philadelphia Eagles lift the Super Bowl following a dominant display against the Kansas City Chiefs. But one NFL analyst believes the time is coming soon for Dan Quinn's squad.
Expectations are gradual improvement were blown out of the water in 2024. The Commanders went on a sensational run, winning 12 regular-season games and reaching the NFC Championship game. They were eventually undone by the Eagles, but that's no disgrace looking at the way they obliterated the Chiefs' dreams of a historic three-peat.
Washington's urgency is raised heading into the offseason. They need to maximize quarterback Jayden Daniels' rookie contract. They need to keep pace with the Eagles and make enough improvements to potentially put up more of a fight next time around. They also need to keep the bigger picture in mind so their immediate accomplishments become something sustainable.
Strong offseason should put Commanders among the contenders again in 2025
Adam Peters has a significant amount of hard work ahead. The general manager has a good front-office team in place and majority owner Josh Harris' full support. He's also been around winning franchises throughout his NFL journey, so he'll know what's needed to take the next step.
Tanner Malinowski from Deadspin listed the Commanders among three teams who could make a bold bid for the Super Bowl in 2025 — the Baltimore Ravens and Detroit Lions also made it. The analyst believes that with the right recruitment and a marquee arrival of some kind, Washington can hoist the Vince Lombardi trophy and dethrone the Eagles next season.
"With a sensational young quarterback in Jayden Daniels, an established coach in Dan Quinn and a competent owner in Josh Harris, the Commanders appear to be a potential problem in the NFC for years to come. Keeping linebacker Bobby Wagner and safety Jeremy Chinn could be a challenge, but the Commanders have enough money to plug any holes with a top free agent. Spotrac projects Washington to have just over $80 million in cap space in 2025, the third-most in the league. The Commanders went from last place in 2023 to a game shy of the Super Bowl in 2024, and a splashy offseason signing could help deliver a title for this resurrected franchise in 2025."Tanner Malinowski
Achieving so much so quickly was a massive boost for everyone associated with the Commanders. Nobody should be getting too ahead of themselves, especially considering they won't be a surprise teams don't see coming next season. Maintaining the same mindset and taking advantage of being an attractive destination once again should be enough to keep the momentum going.
And make no mistake, having the defending Super Bowl champion within the NFC East is only going to spur the Commanders on further.
They want to reach similar heights. Washington beat the Eagles once and kept things close in their first meeting despite Daniels dealing with sore ribs on a short week. Their roster isn't comparable to Philadelphia's overall strength. That's something Peters needs to rectify sooner rather than later.
Peters knows what he's doing. Quinn will keep standards high in the locker room to ensure complacency doesn't become an issue. Daniels' presence inspires confidence. So the core pieces are in place from a leadership standpoint.
If the Commanders can bolster their trenches on both sides, upgrade their defense, and get Daniels more productive weapons, Washington will be among the frontrunners in 2025.
That's the new standard.
