The Washington Commanders' roster is too old. Fans have learned a harsh lesson in 2025 about how good this squad is. A 3-8 record with aging personnel implies bigger problems than a bad string of injuries.
But those injuries have mattered, and it would be wrong to overstate the problem. The Commanders are in better shape now than at any point over the last decade. If they had nothing beyond Jayden Daniels, that would still be true. That’s how important a talented young quarterback is to an NFL team.
Tanking is just about the stupidest thing a football team could ever try to do. It can't be done. However, there comes a time when coaches and management need to accept that a season is largely lost and that evaluations must be made for the future. The Commanders have reached that point.
Tanking — using inferior players with the intention of losing and thereby improving draft position — is anathema to everything in an athlete’s psyche. It breeds a losing culture that is hard to shake. Any player or coach who is not trying to win at every moment should be removed from a professional sports team.
Besides, it just doesn’t work. At least not often enough to risk the immense downside. If it worked, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears would be playoff challengers because Trevor Lawrence and Caleb Williams were supposed to be can’t-miss prospects.
Instead, the Vince Lombardi trophy was hoisted by Jalen Hurts, a second-round pick who analysts love to trash. That’s because he is better than those experts are willing to admit, and because Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman built the best roster in football.
If Adam Peters is going to build an elite squad in Washington, he needs to begin weeding through the young players he currently has under contract.
These six players we are about to discuss may not get many snaps the rest of the season, but some or all should be called up for a few games to give them that opportunity.
Commanders longshots who could see expanded roles with nothing left to lose
Sam Hartman - Commanders QB
The Washington Commanders are still mathematically alive for a playoff spot, but that is likely to change in the coming weeks. Once it does, Sam Hartman should be elevated ahead of 39-year-old Josh Johnson to the QB3 role. It is unlikely he will play much, but he should be on the roster.
If Jayden Daniels is deemed 100 percent healthy, he will want to play. Washington should honor that desire. He needs to get back into the groove that defined his rookie season. If there is any lingering doubt about his health, then it should be Marcus Mariota, backed up by Hartman.
If Hartman earns it through practice, perhaps he even gets the final start of the season, the way Sam Howell did in 2022.