It's been one disaster after another for the Washington Commanders this season. Fans and analysts were expecting this upstart contender to make another strong playoff run after reaching the NFC Championship game. However, an eight-game losing run has seen these dreams evaporate.
This dismal campaign is also raising more questions than answers about the team's current direction. The Commanders have the NFL's oldest roster. They have the most pending free agents of any club. They have plenty of salary-cap space but only six draft picks — only two of which are in the first four rounds. Adam Peters has a lot of hard work ahead, and it might take time to put all the correct pieces in place.
Last season was nothing short of a fairytale. This time around, the Commanders have come crashing back down to earth. The team looks unmotivated, unprepared, and easy to figure out. That's a dangerous combination, and the pathetic performances and poor results speak for themselves.
It's evaluation mode from here on. Peters and head coach Dan Quinn will already have thoughts on how best to take the franchise forward. Some are still fighting hard to secure their futures. But for others, their respective statuses are hanging in the balance.
With this in mind, we picked out seven Commanders players whose fate is already sealed, for differing reasons, heading into the final four games of the campaign.
Commanders players whose fate is already sealed heading into the final stretch
Daron Payne - Commanders DT
- Fate: Trade candidate in 2026
The Washington Commanders need to consolidate during the offseason. No more gambles on veteran free agents looking for one last shot at the Super Bowl — it's time to start building for the future. And that means accumulating as many assets as possible to ensure some long-term goals can be met.
That brings Daron Payne under the microscope. The veteran defensive tackle started the season impressively but seems to be tailing off. Any hopes he had of earning an extension in advance are seemingly gone, though there is no telling for sure. What Adam Peters must decide is whether trading the former Alabama star is a risk worth taking.
Payne would probably have a market if the Commanders became more receptive to offers. He's counting $28.01 million on Washington's salary cap next season with no guaranteed money left. He's not living up to that financial commitment, and even though they'd be eating some dead money, the $16.81 million in savings could be utilized elsewhere if a suitable trade offer arrives.
Time will tell on that, but handing Payne another extension seems far too risky right now.
Andrew Wylie - Commanders OT
- Fate: Released when contract expires in 2026
The Washington Commanders' offensive line has been a plus amid the doom and gloom this season. They've become a cohesive unit, and the return of right guard Sam Cosmi from a torn ACL helped enormously. If Chris Paul gets a new deal from the franchise next spring, their starting five will all return.
That hasn't been good news for everybody. Andrew Wylie is among those who've become an afterthought, and there is a good chance he'll be let go when the time comes for Adam Peters to decide the fate of his free agents.
Wylie started at the right tackle spot for two years, but Josh Conerly Jr.'s arrival meant he wasn't needed on the edge. The two-time Super Bowl winner slotted into the interior well when Nick Allegretti struggled at right guard. But when Cosmi got the all-clear to take his place in the lineup, he went into a backup role once again.
There is no doubt that Wylie wants to be a starter. That won't be in Washington.
Von Miller - Commanders DE
- Fate: Released when contract expires in 2026
Von Miller leads the Commanders in sacks with six this season. That's a positive from the player's standpoint, especially considering he's accumulated just 37 percent of the team's defensive snaps. Still, it's also a damning indictment of Washington's complete lack of investment in the defensive edge.
Fans were deeply concerned that this could hold the Commanders back before the campaign. Adam Peters held a different opinion, but it didn't go as planned. Miller flashed tremendous promise without boasting the same game-wrecking capabilities he displayed earlier in his future first ballot Pro Football Hall of Fame career. However, Washington has to get younger in this critical area of the field.
There is no sugarcoating this anymore. The Commanders' pass rush needs the right investment when Peters' third recruitment period begins. If that means Miller is free to take his chances elsewhere, even if he wants to stay with the club, so be it. But the time for half-measures is over.
Noah Brown - Commanders WR
- Fate: Released when contract expires in 2026
Noah Brown has endured another frustrating year. The wide receiver got a new deal from the Commanders during the offseason, but injuries have once again prevented him from making a significant impact.
Brown's problems began at Washington's mandatory minicamp when he was carted off with a knee injury. That hindered his summer preparations, but he did manage to make it back in time for Week 1. Unfortunately, the former Ohio State standout lasted just two games before an ankle injury left him on the shelf until last weekend against the Minnesota Vikings.
The wideout caught just one pass from two targets for 19 receiving yards in Washington's shutout embarrassment, but he did come through unscathed after playing almost 70 percent of offensive snaps. That was a positive if nothing else. Even so, it doesn't change the fact that those in power need to go in a different direction during the offseason.
Quan Martin - Commanders S
- Fate: Trade candidate or role demotion in 2026
Quan Martin was expected by many fans and experts to have a breakout campaign for the Washington Commanders this season. The hard-hitting safety came on significantly when moved to the backend by head coach Dan Quinn in 2024. Unfortunately, it's been an underwhelming campaign from the 2023 second-round pick.
Martin struggled to establish himself as the alpha dog. Losing veteran Will Harris early in the campaign didn't help, but that's no real excuse. Nothing has really clicked for the Illinois product, and it would be a surprise if the Commanders didn't look for reinforcements at the safety position when the 2026 offseason arrives.
Missed tackles, coverage lapses, and an apparent lack of confidence have caused his regression. If the Commanders draft someone like Caleb Downs or target one of the premier free agents set to his the market, Martin becomes a trade candidate or could be demoted to backup duties unless there is legitimate growth this offseason.
Tyler Owens - Commanders S
- Fate: Special-teams ace/roster bubble candidate in 2026
Speaking of safeties, fans were expecting to see much more from Tyler Owens this season. But, as has been the case throughout his career, his physical talent has never matched his on-field production.
Owens has every athletic intangible a player on the backend could want. He's got the size, scope, and explosiveness that look tailor-made for Dan Quinn's schematic concepts. Still, something is preventing the coaching staff from getting him heavily involved in the defensive rotation.
The Commanders prefer experience right now, for what it's worth. That's restricted Owens to special-teams duties, which allows him to be instinctive and use his explosiveness more freely. It's been a recipe for success, but a massive summer awaits the Texas Tech product in pursuit of making the squad or carving out a larger role for himself.
This roster is going to look entirely different next spring. What that means for Owens in the final year of his deal remains to be seen.
Johnny Newton - Commanders DL
- Fate: Buried on the rotation in 2026
It's starting to look like the Commanders might never get a significant return on their investment in Johnny Newton. While the interior defensive lineman is young enough to turn things around, it's going to take a lot of patience and hard work to justify his high second-round billing.
The Commanders thought they'd secured a steal of epic proportions when Newton slipped through the cracks and into their laps at No. 36 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. It was a stuttering rookie year, but the flashes from a pass-rushing standpoint suggested that a bigger role could be in the offing this season with a little extra polish.
That hasn't arrived. The Commanders prefer Javon Kinlaw and Daron Payne as their starting defensive tackle tandem. Newton's inability to be impactful against the run has seen him fall behind veteran Eddie Gooldman in the pecking order. Unless there is a drastic shift, he could be buried on the rotation once again in 2026.