Thanksgiving is about family, food, friends, and football. It's a tradition as old as time, and it's a chance to reflect on what makes you truly thankful in this crazy world.
For the Washington Commanders, it's still attending to the business at hand. Head coach Dan Quinn's squad is back from their bye week and gearing up for another prime-time clash at Northwest Stadium. The Denver Broncos are formidable opposition, so this could be another Sunday Night Football embarrassment unless there is a quick turnaround in performance.
Regardless of how things go from here, a pivotal offseason awaits. General manager Adam Peters has the most pending free agents in the league, and it would be shocking if the large majority returned. He ran it back with the NFL's oldest roster, which only got older, and it didn't pay off. A drastic shift in strategy is required to ensure this ambitious project delivers long-term benefits.
Some difficult decisions are upcoming. Some will be relatively straightforward, while others will be much more contentious. After a season that promised much but descended into disaster, the time for half-measures and attaching sentiment is over.
Had it not been for some significant injury problems throughout the campaign, these changes might have happened already. With this in mind, here are five Commanders players who should be thankful they haven't been cut yet.
Commanders players who should be thankful they haven't been cut yet
Josh Johnson - Commanders QB
The Washington Commanders have endured a plethora of problems over the campaign. None has been more damaging than the injury concerns surrounding quarterback Jayden Daniels.
It's been a luckless run from Daniels. He suffered a knee sprain. Then, it was a low-grade hamstring strain. After that, the dynamic signal-caller sustained a dislocated elbow. Just an unbelievable run of bad fortune that has dented Washington's aspirations considerably.
Marcus Mariota is a capable understudy. He's always had limitations, but he knows how to implement Kliff Kingsbury's scheme effectively. He can also make things happen when given the chance, displaying the competitive fire and accuracy that once made him a highly touted college prospect.
Josh Johnson is his backup. The journeyman returned for his second spell in Washington this offseason, beating out Sam Hartman for the No. 3 gig. It's another experienced figure for the room, but with the Commanders struggling to reach lofty expectations, there doesn't seem to be much point in keeping him around for much longer.
This season could be the end of Johnson's career in the NFL. Then again, we've been saying that for years.