Fans have been looking forward to this moment for some time. It's the closing stages of what's been a disastrous season, almost from start to finish, for the Washington Commanders.
It was a campaign that projected another deep playoff run and, potentially, even a Super Bowl win if everything went according to plan. Head coach Dan Quinn's squad hasn't come close to meeting the bar set in 2024, and some internal investigations into the team's failure are needed, if they haven't begun already.
There is just one game to navigate before attention turns to what will be a critical offseason for the club. General manager Adam Peters must be aggressive. He must find the pieces needed to get this roster younger and more competitive. He must also avoid the temptation to rely on aging veterans past their peak, as the strategy implemented last spring didn't yield the desired results.
Not everyone is going to come along for the ride. Some decisions will be more challenging for Peters and Quinn than others. And with only one contest left, some fates have already been determined.
With this in mind, here are seven Commanders players on the brink as their respective chapters in Washington are finally coming to a close.
Commanders players on the brink as their Washington chapter finally closes
Josh Johnson - Commanders QB
Nobody expected to see veteran journeyman quarterback Josh Johnson on the field this season. But the fact that he's started one game and will do the same in Week 18 is a microcosm of everything that's gone wrong for the Washington Commanders this season.
Superstar signal-caller Jayden Daniels has featured just seven times due to injury. Marcus Mariota, the dependable backup, injured his hand against the Philadelphia Eagles and will now miss his final two auditions to get another starting shot elsewhere this offseason. That left those in power turning to Johnson, a damning indictment of how Sam Hartman's development is perceived behind the scenes.
Johnson looked like a deer in the headlights when filling in for Mariota versus the Eagles. However, with some extra time to prepare, he looked a lot better on Christmas Day against the Dallas Cowboys. If the experienced pro can do the same in the face of Philadelphia's exceptional defense, he may get a shot to be a backup somewhere else when preparations for the 2026 campaign begin around the league.
Either way, this should be the end of Johnson's second stint in Washington.