Earlier this week, The Athletic ran a story assessing all 32 NFL teams in the run-up to the trade deadline. The article put each club into one of three categories: Buyers, sellers, or stand pat. Washington Commanders’ reporter Nicky Jhabvala placed Dan Quinn's squad in the stand pat category.
It's hard to dispute that notion. General manager Adam Peters went all-in on making a deep playoff run this season, but the breaks have not gone Washington’s way. Though there is still a lot of season left to play, the Commanders sit at 3-4, with three challenging games ahead.
The next three opponents boast a combined record of 14-7. The team with the worst record — the Kansas City Chiefs — may be playing the best football of any of them right now. Jayden Daniels is out at least this week. There is optimism around Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel Sr. making their returns on Monday Night Football, but Dorance Armstrong Jr. is out for the season. Peters and Quinn are staring the very real possibility of 3-7 right in the face.
On the other hand, no one in the NFC East looks unbeatable this season. Despite their poor play and injury issues, the Commanders are just two games behind the division-leading Philadelphia Eagles. With a good bounce here and there and an upset or two, Washington is back in the playoff hunt.
So what should Peters do?
Commanders are faced with a tricky situation at the 2025 trade deadline
Should he try to patch some holes? Look for bargains at the trade deadline? Maybe push all his remaining chips into the pot and go after a genuine game-changer?
Or should he face facts and accept that 2025 is not the Commanders’ year? The team still has a fine young core. Should he explore trades that might begin to replenish his diminished stock of draft picks?
The only Commanders star on an expiring contract who might fetch a decent return is Samuel, and he only cost Washington a fifth-round pick during the offseason. His play has been good enough to warrant a slight increase in that value, but it wouldn’t be a significant boost. And considering that such a trade would be a crystal clear statement of surrender, it hardly seems worth the return.
Peters could tinker with role players. Some playoff contenders might see a value in depth pieces like Jeremy MvNichols, Noah Igbinoghene, Andrew Wylie, or Eddie Goldman. All are veterans on expiring contracts. The return would be a late-round pick at best and would probably involve a pick swap — no additional draft capital, but perhaps a slightly better position in a late round.
That minor move makes sense if the Commanders have a young player they want to give more time. For instance, if they are ready to take a longer look at Car’lin Vigers at cornerback, moving Igbinoghene fits. But no such deal will move the needle much.
Regardless of what you think of the trades Peters has already made —Laremy Tunsil and Samuel have worked out reasonably well; Marshon Lattimore, not so much — the fact is that Peters is hamstrung by an overall lack of draft selections.
As of now, he has just six picks in 2026. None in the second or fourth round, and an extra one in the sixth as a result of the Brian Robinson Jr. trade. That’s not too bad in a vacuum. But it is coming on the heels of a draft in which he added just five new players — two of whom went in the first 125 selections.
Peters cannot afford to sacrifice more draft capital in what is likely to be a losing effort.
The situation is made more difficult by the numbers in The Athletic ($) article. Twice as many clubs were labelled as buyers as sellers; that is not unusual, but it presents Peters with a harsh reality.
If he wants to make a deal, he will need to go above market value. There are players on the clubs generally viewed as sellers — the Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, Tennessee Titans, and the New York Jets — that could help, but it is a seller’s market.
And the bottom line is, there is not a single player on any of those clubs — with the possible exception of defensive end Maxx Crosby — who would make a huge difference in Washington. The Jets are not trading Garrett Wilson, nor are the Browns trading Myles Garrett. Crosby’s name has come up in speculation, but his price tag will be enormous.
Peters cannot continue chasing success this season. Nor can he pull the plug. A small deal or two on the edges of the roster could make sense, but standing pat does seem like the right move.
Some fans might not like it, but it's simply an acknowledgement that sometimes things don’t work out, even if the foundation is sound. A franchise that is stuck in a pattern of failure overreacts to every bump in the road. Well-run organizations trust in their process.
The Commanders overachieved last year. As of now, they are underachieving this year. But that still has them on a course that should yield progress, provided they do not panic.