Things haven't been easy for the Washington Commanders through three weeks of the 2025 season. They are sitting at 2-1 with some winnable games upcoming, but several concerning injury problems remain a potential issue that must be navigated effectively.
Any contending team knows that success requires a collective effort. It's a grueling process to reach the mountain top. The Commanders are calling on fringe or inexperienced players to do more than anyone anticipated, and they've stepped up accordingly.
It's a fluid situation. Dan Quinn is doing a tremendous job of focusing on the task at hand, ensuring everyone is ready when their time comes. This is also another sign of the exceptional resolve in the locker room — something that spearheaded their remarkable surge to the final four in the head coach's first season at the helm.
Some haven't yet met their billing. It's still early in the process, so pressing the panic button would be foolish. But for others, they are coming through better than even the brightest optimist envisaged.
With this in mind, here are five Commanders players who are bursting onto the scene bigger than anyone imagined so far.
Commanders players bursting onto the scene bigger than anyone imagined
Trey Amos - Commanders CB
There was cautious optimism around Trey Amos heading into his rookie campaign. The second-round pick won a starting job on the boundary relatively early in training camp. At the same time, everyone knows that first-year cornerbacks tend to go through more growing pains than most.
It's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. Amos has also dealt with a couple of nagging injuries. Even so, one cannot be anything other than impressed by the way he's gone about his business so far.
The former Ole Miss standout is far from a weak link. One could even argue that he's been the strongest cornerback from a consistency standpoint, allowing just 45.5 percent of targets thrown in his direction and a measly 58.1 passer rating when targeted. His 70.0 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus is immensely encouraging, especially early in his NFL journey.
Hopefully, the calf issue sustained by Amos against the Las Vegas Raiders doesn't keep him out of action. Either way, it seems, for all the smart money, as if the Commanders have a bona fide draft steal on their hands with the No. 61 overall selection.
Amos doesn't fear anything or anyone. No matter the challenge in front of the player, he tackles it head-on. And the league is already noticing.