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The Athletic (paywall)
How the Commanders returned to D.C.: The wild, unlikely saga of a years-long journey home
[W]hile every modern stadium deal is challenging, the Commanders’ saga is especially illustrative of how far owners — and municipalities — will go to land a new stadium. Washington’s pursuit spanned nearly a decade, and included not just three competing jurisdictions, but the oversight of the federal government, the input of multiple federal commissions, the D.C. City Council — and, hanging in the background, the prospect of President Donald Trump returning to office, potentially
adding more volatility to an already unstable process.
The unlikely climax arrived on that night in late 2024, when a handful of U.S. Senators remained in the chamber following the approval of a stopgap funding bill. Schumer made his way to the Senate floor to address presiding officer Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.).
“Mr. President,” he began, standing behind the lectern. “I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 648 H.R. 4984.”
H.R. 4984, the “Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act,” [transferred] administrative control of 180 acres along the banks of the Anacostia River to the District, clearing the way for the Commanders to return to the site of their former home, RFK Stadium. D.C. would control the federally owned land for 99 years and be allowed to construct housing, retail and more around the stadium, turning what had been a rusting blight into a year-round destination.
That H.R. 4984 was read without objection when just one “no” could’ve blocked the bill, that it passed the Senate in the wee hours of a Saturday, that it happened so anticlimactically, so quietly after years of drama, felt almost fitting in a way. It was too improbable to seem real.
The biggest barrier to Washington’s NFL team leaving Landover was always Daniel Snyder, its litigious and contentious former owner. His 24 years of ownership included more federal and NFL-led investigations of the team’s workplace and its owner (seven) than playoff appearances (six).
As Snyder made rumblings about a new stadium, local officials and politicians offered half-baked ideas, knowing full well the monumental hurdles they faced. At one point, Snyder even hired an architect whose preliminary sketches included the grand idea to build a moat around the stadium.
“It would never have gotten there under the previous ownership,” Ganis said. “Ever.”
The Commanders [new owners] started from scratch on Capitol Hill in 2023, lobbying ranking members of committees and subcommittees while using the leverage of hope that this was a team on the rise — a team that could soon fill stadium seats and again become a respectable franchise and valued brand.
They started to fulfill such hope the next year, when rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels steered a 12-5 season that ended in the NFC Championship Game. Those vacant seats at Northwest Stadium were suddenly filled, and a team that was previously relevant only when embroiled in controversy was suddenly a league sensation.
NFL.com
Ranking the top 15 NFL quarterbacks on rookie contracts in 2026
Rank 3 – Jayden Daniels – Year 3 · Age 25
- 2026 cap hit: $10.3 million
The 2025 season felt like a complete wash for Daniels. The 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year couldn’t stay on the field long enough to find a rhythm, with the QB’s knee, hamstring and elbow injuries subverting the Commanders’ hopes of repeating the stunning success they enjoyed a year prior and leaving open a host of questions regarding their outlook entering 2026. I still hold a firm belief that Daniels is one of the most dynamic, thrilling quarterbacks in the NFL when healthy, and that he is fully capable of carrying this offense for as long as he can remain available. That’s why he’s ranked third — and I hope, for Washington’s sake, that this slot looks prescient a year from now.
The injury question will be a consistent storyline for Daniels ahead of his third season until he proves exactly that after being limited to just four full games and seven appearances in 2025.
Yet the confidence stems from the glimpses as a sophomore NFL quarterback followed by his 2024 season that ended in an NFC Championship game appearance along with a Rookie of the Year selection.
In 2024, Daniels amassed over 3,500 passing yards and 25 touchdowns to nine interceptions while completing 69% of his passes, while he added another nearly 900 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground.
2026 also marks a pivotal season for Daniels given he enters year three of his four year rookie deal with the focus set to shift to contract extension talks next offseason as general manager Adam Peters prepares for another major deal after inking veterans Terry McLaurin and Laremy Tunsil in consecutive offseasons.
Jayden Daniels’ extension projection raises the stakes for Commanders in 2026
The former LSU standout will be extension-eligible after the 2026 campaign. If Daniels gets back to anything like his rookie form, the Commanders would be wise to give him a long-term deal at the earliest possible opportunity. But given how quarterback contracts around the league are soaring as the salary cap rises, that won’t be cheap.
According to Spotrac, the early market projections for Daniels reflect precisely that. As things stand, the 2024 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year is set to get a three-year, $160.11 million deal. This works out at $53.37 million a year, making him the fifth-highest paid quarterback in the league.
And if Daniels takes a leap forward, this figure might be a conservative estimate come push time.
Commanders Wire
Commanders labeled ‘pretenders’ for 2026 NFL season
Recently, Bleacher Report examined 12 teams that could be contenders in 2026. They did not include teams at the bottom of the league, such as the Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders (among others), nor the 2025 playoff teams. Instead, they looked at teams that missed the postseason in 2025 and have aspirations of avoiding that in 2026. At the end of their assessment, they determined if a team was real (buying) or pretending (selling). Here’s what they said about the Commanders:
While the New England Patriots were going from also-ran to the AFC title last year, the Washington Commanders were hurtling in the opposite direction.
After winning 12 games and making the NFC Championship Game in 2024, an injury-ravaged Commanders squad went 5-12 in 2025.
Much of the reason for that collapse was the NFL’s worst defense, and the team went hard at that situation in the offseason.
Rookie linebacker Sonny Styles takes over for Bobby Wagner inside after being drafted seventh overall, and Washington spent big in free agency on the pass rush with the addition of edge-rushers Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson. Safety Nick Cross and cornerback Amik Robertson were signed to bolster a bad pass defense.
Offensively, the team spent a Day 2 pick on wideout Antonio Williams, who the Commanders hope will step up as a complement to Terry McLaurin. But an average offensive line didn’t get much better, and the skill-position talent around quarterback Jayden Daniels isn’t especially imposing.
In an NFC East that is shaping up to be a much harder division in 2026, the Commanders have a better chance of finishing last than first.
Verdict: Pretender (Sell)
Last Man Standig (paywall)
Throwback Thursday: The Commanders’ locker room has spoken on Laremy Tunsil
Washington’s general manager might consider walking into the locker room with a simple question:
If you could only vote one Commanders teammate to the Pro Bowl, who gets your ballot?
Based on those findings, left tackle [Laremy Tunsil] might get all the money.
In a season filled with uneven results and limited national recognition, players inside the building were far less conflicted. Tunsil received 11.5 votes in my end-of-season survey — nearly triple the next closest teammate
The final tally:
- Laremy Tunsil — 11.5
- Bobby Wagner — 4
- Tress Way — 3
- Jeremy Reaves — 2.5
- Chris Paul — 2
Others receiving votes: Percy Butler, Jacory Croskey-Merritt/Chris Rodriguez, Zach Ertz, Jaylin Lane, Terry McLaurin
Quarterback Jayden Daniels’s vote went for his blindside protector. His backup, Marcus Mariota, didn’t wait for the full question before blurting.
“LT, without a doubt,” Mariota said quickly. “Yes, that is without a doubt in my mind. I thought he was deserving of it. Special type of player. Locked that left side down. I was surprised he didn’t get in, honestly.”
Terry McLaurin’s analysis began with the silence.
“You don’t hear an O-lineman’s name a lot. That’s a good thing,” the wide receiver said. “He was as consistent as he could be. I was kind of shocked he didn’t at least become like a second alternate or something for the Pro Bowl.”
That theme — consistency — surfaced repeatedly.
Right guard Sam Cosmi called him “probably the best left tackle in the NFL” and said Tunsil has “literally mastered this technique.”
Interior offensive lineman Nick Allegretti went even deeper into the mechanics.
“I don’t think there’s a better left tackle or offensive lineman in the league this year,” Allegretti said. “He takes the set that he wants to take every single play. He reacts appropriately. He doesn’t overreact. As a football nerd, awesome to watch.”
Commander Roundtable
Keep an eye on UDFA kicker Drew Stevens
Stevens was initially among the batch of undrafted rookies to be invited to rookie minicamp before inking as an undrafted free agent after also reportedly drawing interest from the Philadelphia Eagles.
Stevens ended his four year career as a Hawkeye as the all-time scoring leader in program history where he made 76 of his 95 career attempts. Yet the bulk of Stevens’ work came inside the 40 yard line where he made all but three of his 47 career attempts while making just 66.7% of his 48 attempts from beyond.
Whether he actually proves to be true competition is another story, yet the Iowa product now arrives with a chance to compete against Jake Moody, who made all but one of his 11 field goal attempts after signing with the Commanders in 2025 where he first joined the practice squad. Moody was then promoted to the active roster in mid November where he became a largely stabilizing force for a unit that needed it.
Commanders.com
2026 schedule preview | AFC South
The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team.
The Commanders will play all four teams in the NFC West and AFC South, including two home matchups against the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks, who have a first-round bye in this year’s playoffs. The Commanders will host the Houston Texans, another playoff team, for the first time since the 2018 season in just the seventh matchup between the two squads in franchise history.
Today. we’re going to focus on the AFC South as we preview some of the key teams on Washington’s schedule. The division is considered one of the weaker groups in the league, but teams like the Texans and Titans put in work over the offseason to make their rosters more competitive.
Tennessee Titans
There’s new leadership once again in the Titans’ locker room, and the duo of Robert Saleh and Brian Daboll got right to work at shaping the roster in their image. Robinson is mostly a slot receiver but will likely be a versatile weapon for Cam Ward, who Daboll has been high on since last year’s draft. Most of the work in free agency went toward fixing the defense, particularly with Franklin-Myers and Martin, who can bring some disruption to Tennessee’s front. Taylor was one of the top cornerbacks on the market, and he’s expected to help shore up a secondary that struggled mightily at allowing explosive plays.
The Titans pulled off one of the most surprising moves in the draft in taking Tate with the No. 4 overall pick. Tate isn’t considered as talented as other Ohio State prospects who have come before him, but he did have the cleanest evaluation in the class and did average over 17 yards per catch.
Indianapolis Colts
It was important for the Colts to retain the duo of Jones and Pierce, which generated much of the team’s offensive production. Jones has his flaws, but a change of scenery seemed to do him some good, as he was on pace to shatter his career highs in passing yards and touchdowns before his Achilles injury. Pierce only has one 1,000-yard season in his career, but he’s led the league in yards per reception over the last two seasons. It will be interesting to see whether Pierce can maintain that level of production with more targets as a No. 1 wide receiver expected to come for him in 2026.
Houston Texans
The Texans want to be a physical team and protect C.J. Stroud as much as possible. It’s unclear whether that plan will be successful, but there is at least a clear direction on the team the Texans want to be and will likely be one of the top competitive teams in a weak division.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars let Travis Etienne walk in free agency and signed Rodriguez as at least a partial replacement. Rodriguez had flashes during his time in Washington and had a knack for picking up tough yards in third-and-short situations. There’s a bit of a projection coming from the Jaguars’ front office, but it’s possible Rodriguez is ready for a larger role. [T]he Jaguars [also] lost Dyami Brown [who returned] to the Commanders.
RAS Creator goes deep on Commanders rookies via Twitter
Podcasts & videos
Diving into the depth chart: All Ears with JP Finlay | NBC4 Washington
#Commanders Film Room: Edge Prospect Joshua Josephs w/@MarkBullockNFL
NFL LIVE | “Commanders’ defense looks dangerous at NFC East with Sonny Styles” – Louis Riddick
NFC East links
Bleeding Green Nation
Eagles front office changes include hiring another former Jets general manager
Mike Maccagnan’s name sticks out here since he served as the New York Jets’ general manager from 2015-2019 before he was ultimately replaced by Joe Douglas, who returned to Philly last year. Funny that they’re now both on the Eagles. Maccagnan is a Hightstown, New Jersey native (shout out Mercer County) whose front office career began as a scouting intern with the Washington football team back in 1990. The Jets were 24-40 during his four-year tenure as GM, though it’s not like they’ve gotten any better since his departure. Prior to joining the Jets, Maccagnan built a reputation as a respected executive for his contributions to the Houston Texans from 2000-2014. Howie Roseman is no stranger to adding former high-ranking front office members to his staff; he previously hired former Jacksonville Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell, for example, and the Eagles currently employ former Denver Broncos vice president of player personnel Matt Russell in addition to the aforementioned Douglas. With the Eagles losing multiple key front office members this offseason, adding Maccagnan to help offset those loses seems sensible.
Speaking of Joe Douglas, his title change gives him the same title he had in Philly from 2016-2019 … with “Senior” attached to the front of it.
Eagles reportedly promote Adam Berry to assistant general manager
The team is promoting vice president of football operations and strategy Adam Berry to the assistant GM position, according to reporting from NFL insider Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport.
Adam, the twin brother of former Eagles executive and current Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry, originally joined the Birds in 2023 after working at Goldman Sachs for 14 years. His promotion to assistant GM with just a few years of NFL experience under his belt represents a very fast rise in the front office. The Eagles clearly value him in high regard.
On that note, Berry’s new title allows the Eagles to block other teams from interviewing him for lateral positions. He can only be poached if a team is hiring him to be their new general manager.
Blogging the Boys
3 veteran free agents who fill a Cowboys’ need
LB Bobby Wagner
By drafting Jaishawn Barham and trading for Dee Winters, the Cowboys have upgraded the LB position, but they shouldn’t stop there. Although he turns 36 in June, Bobby Wagner is still performing like a Top 10 player at his position in the league. By signing him the Cowboys would not only solidify the LB position, but also give them a veteran who has seen it all to wear the green dot and be a mentor to Dallas’ young LBs. In what shapes up to be a very young defensive unit, Wagner’s addition in Dallas could prove to be invaluable for this year.
OLB Von Miller
Von Miller is another veteran free agent the Cowboys should consider signing to their roster. Like Wagner, he may have lost a step, but is still capable of playing at a high level and could improve Dallas’ pass rush this year. The 37-year-old generated 36 total pressures in 2025 according to PFF, and had nine QB sacks last season in Washington, which would have led the Cowboys last year. A Texas native and local Dallas resident, Miller might be open to the idea of playing in Dallas and could help the development of their young pass rusher.
Pro Football Talk
Caleb Downs makes quick change from No. 18 to No. 13
Cowboys safety Caleb Downs has the top-selling jersey of all rookies. For those who were expecting a jersey displaying No. 18 to eventually show up, they’ll be in for a surprise.
Downs has already shifted to No. 13, via Tommy Yarrish of the Cowboys’ official website.
At rookie minicamp, Downs wore No. 18. He’ll wear the new number for OTAs.
But buyers beware. Yarrish notes that the current number is “subject to change and still could be different between now and the beginning of the regular season.”
Downs wore No. 2 at Ohio State. That number currently has been issued to cornerback Cobie Durant, who signed a one-year contract with the team in March. It’s possible Downs will work out a deal with Durant — or that the Cowboys will exercise their prerogative to reclaim the number.
If Downs is going to change from No. 13 to No. 2, here’s hoping it happens soon. If Durant doesn’t return in 2027, Downs could make the change from No. 13 to No. 2, rendering obsolete any and all jerseys purchased in 2026.
Josh Downs ready to show Caleb Downs he’s the ‘little brother’ when Colts face Cowboys
Ahead of the draft, Indianapolis Colts receiver Josh Downs knew it was a possibility the Dallas Cowboys could draft his brother, Caleb, setting up a head-to-head matchup in 2026. Then it happened.
“I remember before he got drafted — not to talk about the Cowboys’ scheme or nothing — but he told me if he goes to the Cowboys, he’s playing nickel,” Josh said on Wednesday. “So, that’s like head-to-head all game. I was like, that’s interesting. So when he got drafted, I was like, ‘You know we play y’all this year?’ He got all hype.”
The Downs brothers faced off once in high school, when Josh’s North Gwinnett (Georgia) High School blew out Caleb’s Mill Creek, per the Indy Star. Josh beat his younger brother for a touchdown. He’d like a repeat when the Colts host the Cowboys at some point in 2026.
“It’s all fun and games, but you know I’ve got to still let him know he’s the little brother in this situation,” Josh said.
Big Blue View
NY Giants UDFAs: Can Ben Mann replace Casey Kreiter as long snapper?
[Note from BiB: I just love a good long snapper debate]
At first blush it seems like the height of offseason news slumps to talk about whether an undrafted free agent long snapper can be a factor for the New York Giants. That said… Could Ben Mann, an undrafted long snapper from Boston College be a factor for the Giants in 2025?
NFL league links
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Front Office Sports
NFL Nears Referee Deal to Avoid Another ‘Fail Mary’ Disaster
The league is nearing a formal agreement with the NFL Referees Association, according to industry sources and multiple reports, that would avoid a work stoppage. The pact, if completed, would end months of rancor between the two sides. The union has a ratification vote scheduled for Thursday evening, more than three weeks before the May 31 expiration of the current pact.
[T]he league has also been eager to achieve…gains, including elevating standards used to measure referee performance and increasing the length of the probationary period for new officials.
If a new labor deal is ratified, it would negate a provisional rule approved at the NFL’s recent annual meeting in Arizona. There, team owners approved a measure in which the league’s officiating department in New York could consult in real time with replacement officials and use replay to correct clear and obvious calls missed by those alternates.
That additional rule was designed to act as something of a safety net should replacement officials be needed.
NFL.com
Free-agent QB Russell Wilson weighing contract offer from Jets, opportunity as TV analyst
The veteran quarterback told the New York Post on Wednesday that he received an offer from Gang Green following a recent visit. Wilson is also debating on playing this season or joining a television broadcast team.
“It was great,” Wilson said of the visit with the Jets. “They offered me, and I’m trying to figure out what the next best thing is for me to do. I still know I can play ball at a high level, but also I have an opportunity to do TV (analysis), so we’ll see what happens.”
The 37-year-old would be entering his 15th season.
Wilson spent 2025 with the New York Giants, starting three games and appearing in six others, putting up 831 yards and three touchdowns on 119 pass attempts, all career lows. Wilson started the first three games of the season before being replaced by rookie Jaxson Dart and was then leapfrogged on the depth chart by Jameis Winston.
Wilson joining the Jets would make an interesting dichotomy. He’d be backing up starter Geno Smith, who played behind Wilson for three seasons in Seattle.
Asked about backing up Smith, Wilson noted that “Geno is a great friend,” but declined to comment further.
Pro Football Talk
Shilo Sanders tries to avoid $11 million debt from 2015 incident
[Former Tampa Bay practice squad player] Shilo has a pending bankruptcy case, arising from $11 million in debt. The debt traces to an incident from 2015, when a then-15-year-old Shilo Sanders allegedly assaulted and severely injured a security guard at his school. The security guard sued Shilo and his parents. (His father is Colorado coach Deion sanders.)
Shilo’s parents eventually were dropped from the lawsuit, but a default judgment of $11.89 million was entered against Shilo Sanders in 2022, after Shilo failed to show up for the trial of the case.
Shilo Sanders filed for bankruptcy protection in an effort to have the debt discharged. A trial is set for later this year on the question of whether the debt can be discharged. If it was a “willful and malicious injury,” it can’t be discharged.
Shilo Sanders has claimed he acted in self-defense.
From August 2025: Shilo Sanders waived by the Buccaneers after punching Buffalo player
Shilo Sanders was waived by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, less than 24 hours after he was ejected from a preseason game for throwing a punch, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Sunday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team hasn’t announced its cuts.
Sanders, the son of Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, was battling for a roster spot after going undrafted out of Colorado, where he played for his father. He was also penalized for pass interference earlier in Tampa Bay’s 23-19 loss to Buffalo on Saturday night.
“You can’t throw punches in this league. It’s inexcusable. They’re gonna get you every time,” Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said. “You gotta grow from that.”
[Sanders remained a free agent for the rest of the year. He was not signed to any team’s active roster or practice squad during the 2025 regular season.]
Discussion topics
ESPN
Biggest roster holes for all 32 NFL teams following the draft
Dallas Cowboys
Edge rusher
The Cowboys have a surprisingly solid two-deep across their depth chart. Edge rusher is a position that isn’t a hole, per se, but definitely has questions.
Rashan Gary, acquired from Green Bay, didn’t have a sack in the final 10 games of last season. Donovan Ezeiruaku is coming off hip surgery and has been limited in the offseason. Sam Williams had just one sack in 2025. James Houston had 5.5 sacks but couldn’t play against the run. Marist Liufau is moving to the edge but hasn’t played the position before. And first-rounder Malachi Lawrence is a promising rookie, but he’s still a rookie.
New York Giants
Center
Now that the Giants have signed Shelby Harris and DJ Reader to fill holes along the defensive front, they don’t have any glaring holes in the starting lineup. However, they do have weaknesses, and one of them is John Michael Schmitz Jr., who has never quite lived up to his second-round draft potential in the center of the offensive line.
Last year, Schmitz ranked 23rd among starting centers with a 94.1% pass block win rate and 27th with a 65.1% run block win rate. The Giants brought in veteran Lucas Patrick to back up Schmitz, but Patrick played in only six games for the Bengals last season, partly due to a calf injury, and will be 33 years old this season.
Philadelphia Eagles
Strong safety
Andrew Mukuba had an excellent rookie season at one safety position, but the Eagles have questions at the other with Reed Blankenship gone. The starter penciled in is Marcus Epps, who started four games last season after returning to the Eagles following two seasons with Las Vegas. If Epps were hurt, the Eagles might have to use a converted cornerback such as Michael Carter II or Jonathan Jones, or perhaps J.T. Gray. Gray is a former All-Pro special teams gunner, but he didn’t play a defensive snap in the 2025 regular season.
Washington Commanders
Wide receiver
There is a collection of players behind Terry McLaurin waiting for someone to break out. Is Treylon Burks ready to be a starter after three seasons of struggling in Tennessee followed by a few notable catches in 2025 for Washington? Can Luke McCaffrey expand past the 11 catches for 203 yards and three touchdowns that he had in his second season? Or is rookie third-rounder Antonio Williams ready for the big time? The Commanders also have Jaylin Lane, who had 16 receptions for 225 yards as a rookie last season, and veteran Dyami Brown, who had 227 yards in Jacksonville in 2025.
aBit o’Twitter
Check that…
Note: Ahead of the 2025 season, the Washington Commanders had the oldest roster in the NFL with an average age of 28.1 years (or 28 years, 7 months, 4 days). This was the first time since tracking began in 2012 that a team’s average age exceeded 28, marking the oldest team in over a decade
