Last offseason, many question marks were hanging over the Washington Commanders franchise.
Was Jayden Daniels going to be "the" guy, and was Dan Quinn the right man to lead the franchise into this new era? It became evident rather quickly that both were the right people to be in those positions.
A 12-win regular season and an NFC title game appearance showed the rate of progression was fast-tracked to where we now think of the Commanders as one of the Super Bowl contenders in 2025.
For CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin, in naming a storyline that could happen in 2025 that was thought to be impossible a year ago, the Commanders win the Super Bowl.
"It sounds totally plausible now, but put yourself back in the 2024 offseason, when Jayden Daniels was a dual-threat projection rather than a bona fide NFL star, and head coach Dan Quinn seemed like a tired retread rather than a beloved leader," Benjamin writes. "A year later, the Commanders are in full win-now mode, adding Laremy Tunsil and Deebo Samuel as Daniels' support. And no one would be shocked if they push the rival Eagles as NFC heavyweights."
It is plausible to envision Washington being up to its eyeballs in Super Bowl contention in Year 2 with Daniels.
Considering the trades for Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil, coupled with the re-signings of Bobby Wagner, Zach Ertz, and Marcus Mariota, three veterans key in establishing the culture, if everything goes smoothly, Washington could be a tough proposition in 2025.
Now, we aren't saying the Commanders will win it all this upcoming season, but they've certainly given themselves the best shot at it with their offseason moves.
And 12 months ago, having the Commanders, who had just one playoff appearance in eight seasons prior to last year, be a Super Bowl contender in 2025, is a headline that would have gotten you laughed out of every room you walk into.
