Commanders are in proverbial purgatory
The Washington Commanders were seen as an upstart contender at the start of the 2025 campaign. Just one-and-a-half seasons later, they are stuck in the same frustrating cycle they were in before majority owner Josh Harris took charge.
They are in NFL purgatory, which is arguably the worst place to be.
They are among the league's legitimate strugglers, though nobody wants to accept it in the building. They are barely treading water in a division that isn't exactly flourishing with high-caliber operations. They are stuck in that middling ground that eventually saw them do nothing at the trade deadline.
The Philadelphia Eagles recognized their situation for what it was and reacted accordingly. General manager Howie Roseman knew this season was all but done, and he made the sacrifices to put his team in a strong draft position for the next couple of years.
This is how a truly elite general manager operates, while Adam Peters clings to the faint belief that the Commanders still have a shot at making the playoffs.
Pressure is building; there is no denying that. Selling would have waved the white flag, and buying would have reeked of desperation in Washington's current plight.
It's a bad spot, but Peters still thinks this is the right call for the organization's short- and long-term future.
Commanders lost their two biggest trade chips
The Commanders may have been considering a trade deadline sale, which is understandable given their situation. Unfortunately for Adam Peters, he lost his two biggest bargaining chips at the worst possible time.
Peters was reportedly in discussions to send Pro Bowl defensive lineman Daron Payne to the New York Giants. An in-season trade, when the Commanders weren't far behind the G-Men at the time, would have raised eyebrows, but an injury to the Alabama product saved the franchise from a grave mistake.
Payne went to season-ending injured reserve with a foot fracture sustained in practice on a Friday, if you can believe that. With the interior force out of contract next year, he could have played his final game for Washington. And depending on what Peters does in free agency, the Commanders may not even get a compensatory pick in return.
Wide receiver Terry McLaurin was also the subject of trade speculation, and he would have had a market. That abruptly ended when the second-team All-Pro sustained a torn patellar tendon, ruling him out for the season.
McLaurin has two more years but no guaranteed money on his deal. Given the salary-cap commitments and the recovery timeline associated with this injury, the Commanders could potentially release him next spring.
So, two Pro Bowl-caliber performers are on the shelf, and the Commanders may get nothing for them in the end. Just a sorry state of affairs all around.
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