Commanders 2024 midseason awards: Jayden Daniels blazes franchise-changing trail

Defensive Player of the Year - Bobby Wagner

Future Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Bobby Wagner is in his 13th NFL season. He has almost certainly lost a half step and can be beaten in coverage on occasion.

Still, he leads the Washington Commanders in solo tackles. He leads the team in assisted tackles. And he is more than 20 combined tackles clear of the next closest defender. The former second-round pick is on pace to record more than 140 tackles this season.

Amazing as it may seem, that is a down year for Wagner. He has put up even bigger numbers in the past. But the player wasn’t merely signed to make tackles. He was signed to change a culture.

Washington hasn’t had a top-tier linebacker since the days of London Fletcher. They now have two.

Wagner cannot help but be a good influence on Frankie Luvu, who will likely become a defensive leader when he moves on. Through his passion, acumen, and championship pedigree, the Utah State product is infusing the entire defense - perhaps the entire team - with those intangibles that winning teams seem to possess.

He comes up big at the most crucial moments, as Wagner did against the Giants in Week 9. His fumble recovery turned the tide, and he achieved it by being smarter and more focused than anyone else on the field.

Offensive Player of the Year - Brian Robinson Jr.

Brian Robinson Jr. has missed two games due to injury, but the running back has still managed to run for 461 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the year.

His rushing yards could be higher, but the Commanders have had a very balanced attack this season with Jayden Daniels, Austin Ekeler, and Jeremy McNichols all producing on the ground. Most importantly, Robinson has accumulated an outstanding 4.6 yards per carry. He has shown the ability to get tough first downs and occasionally break longer runs.

All of Kliff Kingsbury’s creative offense is predicated on opposing defenses needing to worry about the run. Without a productive rushing game, it would be easier to devote a spy to Daniels on passes and zone reads alike.

Without a productive running game, safeties could play deep, making deep shots more difficult. And opposing defensive coordinators would feel free to blitz more often, without being worried about defending draws and screens.

Above all, without Robinson consistently gaining positive yardage on early downs, Washington’s offense would become more predictable. He does a lot of the dirty work, which allows for bigger plays to develop.