Loser No. 1
Adam Peters - Commanders GM
Adam Peters did nothing at the trade deadline. Washington Commanders fans expected some action, but the general manager chose to keep his roster intact while retaining his draft assets for another pivotal offseason for the club.
NFL insider Jason La Canfora predicted precisely this, claiming there were too many egos in Washington's front office to accept their fate and go into selling mode. The Philadelphia Eagles, who have the same number of wins as the Commanders, went the other way, trading away some top performers to improve their hopes of a sustainable future.
Granted, things may have been different if Terry McLaurin and Daron Payne had been healthy, but they weren't.
Peters is a proud man, and he wasn't going to just trade players for the sake of it. But this only places more scrutiny on his roster construction and the lack of positive results that have followed.
He has made some grave errors over the last two years. Peters tried to fool everyone before the season, claiming frustrated fans don't see everything and the Commanders had much more to show when the real action began.
They are still waiting.
The Commanders don't want to throw in the towel. That's their prerogative, but if results don't improve, the heat on Peters will only grow.
And this is the bed he's made for himself since Washington's conference championship appearance.
Winner No. 2
K'Lavon Chaisson - Commanders OLB
The Commanders didn't have many viable trade chips after defensive lineman Daron Payne and wide receiver Terry McLaurin went to season-ending injured reserve. Edge rusher K'Lavon Chaisson was among those rumored to be drawing interest, but Washington didn't entertain removing him from the equation.
Chaisson is on an expiring contract after signing a one-year deal to join the Commanders in free agency. He bet on himself, hoping to get a much bigger financial commitment with another strong campaign, and he's well on his way to achieving his goal.
The 2020 first-round pick out of LSU has been a real bright spot amid the doom and gloom this season. Chaisson is explosive with a relentless mindset that's easy to get behind. He is also coming up with big plays in key moments, as evidenced by his three forced fumbles through eight games.
This is the sort of player the Commanders should keep around, not trade away. That won't be cheap if his good form continues, so it'll be interesting to see what Adam Peters decides after giving Odafe Oweh a $96 million contract.
That's for the future. For now, the Commanders made their stance on Chaisson crystal clear by keeping him around beyond the trade deadline.
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