What a difference a season can make.
Less than a year removed from being heralded as geniuses for getting the Washington Commanders to one game away from the Super Bowl, many fans are now starting to question general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn.
There's a quote that says, "Winning changes everything." But in Washington's case, it just hid a mess that has come back to punch them in the mouth. Nothing is better at masking issues than a franchise quarterback, and Jayden Daniels provided cover to the rest of the roster last season.
With the shape that Ron Rivera left Washington's roster in, it seemed like a turnaround would take at least a few years. Peters immediately took a sledgehammer to the playing personnel, with the Commanders having the most significant year-over-year turnover between 2023 and 2024, keeping just 39 percent of the squad.
Commanders' league-oldest roster is coming back haunt them
However, nobody expected what came next. This flawed, aging roster stayed remarkably healthy, finishing with the fifth-lowest adjusted games lost in the league. Combine that with pulling out six last-minute wins on their way to the NFC Championship game, and it’s easy to see why few bothered to notice the cracks beneath the surface.
Peters and Washington decided to run it back in 2025 with many of the same starters, plugging holes with aging veterans, while betting that yesterday’s magic would somehow outlast tomorrow’s reality.
Washington brought back 75.9% of its roster, ranking 11th in the league. That hasn't worked out so well.
After playing a game of chicken with Terry McLaurin for much of the offseason, they finally extended the wide receiver. He's since missed more than half of their games with injury.
While letting Dyami Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus walk, they re-signed oft-injured Noah Brown. And, unsurprisingly, the receiver suffered an injury in Week 2 and was placed on injured reserve a few weeks later. Austin Ekeler started the year as the No. 1 running back, before his season ended with a torn Achilles.
Other key aging starters still have prominent roles, and it's clear the strategy no longer works.
Zach Ertz is still heading the tight end room, with no next-man-up in sight. Frankie Luvu is out of position as much as he is making plays on the field. Bobby Wagner is a liability in coverage, who is often picked on by offenses. Mike Sainristil is having an off year in the backfield, while Marshon Lattimore is a play away from getting called for pass interference.
A run defense that allowed the third most rushing yards last season has shown no signs of improvement. The pass defense has gotten worse, allowing the second-most-explosive plays in the league, just ahead of the 1-7 Tennessee Titans. That is not the best company to be in.
So where does the team go from here? With just a 15% chance of making the playoffs with a win against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football, the trajectory for this season is looking bleak.
Significant changes are needed. Just how much will be based on what the young playmakers show with increased playing time throughout the rest of the campaign.