The Washington Commanders finished their first season under the Josh Harris-Adam Peters-Dan Quinn-Jayden Daniels era with a 12-5 record and a trip to the NFC Championship game. That wasn’t good enough, and they’re now building on that early success to push for a Super Bowl appearance, and victory. Their season ended with a loss against the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, and they’ve been making moves to prevent that from happening again.
Adam Peters has made protecting and benefiting
Jayden Daniels a priority this offseason after the No. 2 overall pick won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. He traded for Laremy Tunsil and drafted Oregon tackle Josh Conerly Jr. in the first round, disregarding trade offers for the No. 29 overall pick. They’ve also been adding to the defense through free agency, trades, and the draft. The team continues to purge the majority of Ron Rivera’s roster, as they continue to transform back into a respectable NFL franchise.
The Washington Commanders’ Super Bowl odds are tied for 8th-best with the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams. They trail the Eagles, Lions, Packers, and 49ers in the NFC, and are expected to make another playoff run this year. Almost every analyst has them as a Top 10 team heading into Year 2, where will that lead them when the real games start?
- Winning the Super Bowl odds: +2000
- Winning the NFC Odds: +1000
- Winning the NFC East Odds: +230
- To Make the Playoffs: -122
- Washington Commanders Win Total O/U: Over 9.5(+100), Under 9.5(-120)
High: 4
Low: 11
Average: 7.5
#4
Cowboys Wire(Drummond)
#6
ESPN
Postdraft ranking: 6
Who’s under the most pressure: Cornerback Marshon Lattimore
Washington traded multiple picks for him at the deadline last season, and a hamstring injury limited Lattimore to two regular-season games (and three in the postseason). He has played in only 26 games the past three seasons combined. Lattimore has looked better this offseason but needs to be durable and productive to earn a contract extension. — John Keim
Bleacher Report
Jayden Daniels proved to be the revelation of the 2024 campaign.
The reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year helped lead the Commanders to heights the franchise hadn’t experienced in over 30 years by reaching the NFC Championship Game. Now, it’s time to build on that success.
The Commanders’ plan of attack centered on the big trade acquisitions of wide receiver Deebo Samuel and left tackle Laremy Tunsil—both of whom should have a significant impact on Daniels’ continued development. Terry McLaurin’s recent contract extension won’t hurt, either.
The defense is where the some concerns still lie. Yes, Washington should benefit from having a healthy Marshon Lattimore and second-round rookie Trey Amos in its secondary. However, the unit doesn’t have anyone to generate much pressure on a consistent basis. Right now, the team is leaning on a 36-year-old Von Miller, who hasn’t played a full season in seven years, to get the job done.
This team is good, but it’s not quite there yet.
For the Win
Has the defense improved enough to keep 2024 from being an outlier? Javon Kinlaw, Eddie Goldman, Deatrich Wise, and Von Miller will add veteran bulk up front, along with plenty of questions about how much they can bring to the table. But hey, they stopped jerking around Terry McLaurin long enough to actually get him on the field, so that’s a plus!
Windy City Gridiron(Leming)
Outside of the 2022 Cincinnati Bengals, it’s hard to recall a better one-year turnaround than what the Commanders experienced last season. The club’s new ownership quickly turned things around, and the front office made many “right” decisions. Despite rumored attempts to move up to No. 1 overall and take the hometown kid in Caleb Williams, Daniels went on a tear that somehow eclipsed C.J. Stroud’s rookie season. Now we’ll see if they can take the next step or if last year was a product of playing over their heads. The pieces are there.
2025 Headline: And for his encore: Can Jayden Daniels avoid regression in Year 2, or will he follow a similar path to C.J. Stroud?
Sharp Football Analysis(McCrystal)
#7
The Athletic(Kendall)
Wide receiver Terry McLaurin’s new contract — a three-year, $87 million extension — was the headline of training camp, but the most fun story was running back Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt, a seventh-round rookie who played collegiately at Alabama State, New Mexico and Arizona. He played so well that Washington traded veteran Brian Robinson Jr., last year’s No. 1 running back, to the 49ers. Croskey-Merritt will push Austin Ekeler for the starting job.
USA Today(Davis)
They’ve eliminated one risk by resolving the contractual situation of longtime team captain Terry McLaurin. They’ve potentially invited another one by trading starting RB Brian Robinson to the Niners. FWIW, they’re also not going to be able to duck Parsons, drawing a Thursday night assignment in Green Bay in Week 2. Get ready, Laremy Tunsil.
Sporting News(Iyer)
The Commanders are worthy of buzz as there’s little concern of a sophomore slump with Jayden Daniels with offseason improvements focused on making him better, including making suer Terry McLaurin wasn’t going anywhere.
Pro Football Talk(Florio)
It may take a little while to close the gap with the Eagles.
Pressbox Online(Clark)
Like: I actually think I’m going to put in a Jayden Daniels MVP ticket.
Dislike: Bobby Wagner is 35, Von Miller is 36, Deebo Samuel is spiritually 42.
#8
NFL.com(Edholm)
I am in no way punting on the ascending Commanders, whose long-term future appears almost as bright as any franchise’s. Don’t forget, I was higher on them than some other folks were at this time last year, way before it was cool. But I also think taking the proverbial next step won’t be as natural or smooth a progression as everyone wants it to be. The beautiful thing about Jayden Daniels is that he’s already capable of covering up his team’s missteps with his own play, and that alone will win Washington some games. The additions of Laremy Tunsil and Deebo Samuel can’t hurt. Rookies such as Josh Conerly Jr., Trey Amos and Jacory Croskey-Merritt are wild cards whose potential value can’t be ignored. Yet I’m still a bit leery about the true ceiling of the defense, unless the pass rush and secondary make big strides.
CBS Sports(Prisco)
Jayden Daniels flashed star potential last season, and he should be even better this year. The offensive line will be improved, which will help.
Fansided(Williams)
Anyone who would argue that Jayden Daniels isn’t simply incredible is just a hater of the highest order. Moreover, while Deebo Samuel’s end in San Francisco wasn’t all too pretty, his fit with Kliff Kingsbury’s offense feels as natural as could be, and that unit should keep making waves. That’s especially true with the O-line improvements. Even with Dan Quinn, though, does thi team actually have the horses to compete meaningfully atop the NFC again, or was last year still somewhat of an outlier? That’s the only question I need answered to fully buy in on the Commanders.
Team Rankings
#9
Sports Illustrated(Orr)
We’ve picked up the Commanders’ 2024 season and tossed it around for a few months now. On one hand, it was a transcendent, incredible moment that launched the star rise of the next great NFL quarterback. On the other hand, it was marked with wins over quarterbacks such as Spencer Rattler, Andy Dalton, Michael Penix Jr., Daniel Jones and Will Levis. The playing field is leveled this year with a challenging schedule and heightened attention. The Commanders have an innovative staff built for the counterpunch offensively. On the other side of the ball, we’ll soon find out.
The Score(Wilkins)
The Commanders’ schedule is a lot tougher this year, so building on last season’s Cinderella run to the NFC title game won’t be an easy task. Jayden Daniels gives them a chance, though, and getting Terry McLaurin’s contract situation sorted out should keep the offense rolling.
#10
The Ringer(Lee)
The cool, NFL-hipster thing to do right now is to expect regression from last year’s surprise team. There are plenty of reasons to be skeptical about the 2025 Commanders: The offense’s performance on fourth down in 2024 was unprecedented and will be hard to replicate; the defense has some major question marks at all three levels; the team is relying on an uncomfortable number of aging veterans; and, outside of quarterback Jayden Daniels, there’s a major lack of top-end playmakers on offense.
I won’t fall into the same hipster trap, though. I see Daniels as a future MVP, as he’s already proved that he can paper over flaws elsewhere on the roster. And there’s still room for growth in his game. This season may not be as thrilling as the last, but Daniels will make sure that this is a good team again in 2025.
#11
ESPN(Clay)
Second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels appears to be the real deal and can carry this team far, especially with more veterans on offense, such as left tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Deebo Samuel. The defense remains a major red flag, but defensive mastermind Dan Quinn could again coach it into a competent unit.
Sportsnaut(Johnson)
Regression is coming for the Washington Commanders. That’s not to say Jayden Daniels is about to have a Stroud-like dip in his second year; rather, it’s the reality for a team that had just about everything go right for it in 2024. Washington’s historically high fourth-down efficiency is likely to dip; some of the good fortune they had in facing opponents whose quarterbacks got hurt won’t happen again, and teams will adjust to Kliff Kingsbury’s schemes. Even with all that, Daniels can still lead the Commanders to the playoffs.
