Even though the Washington Commanders only have one game of a torrid season remaining, it is far from a dead rubber. The Philadelphia Eagles are vying for the NFC's No. 2 playoff seed. And almost everyone on head coach Dan Quinn's squad is fighting to secure their roles or futures beyond 2025.
Fans are expecting general manager Adam Peters to implement drastic changes to the playing personnel this offseason. There are a few franchise cornerstones whose status is secure. For players like second-year tight end Ben Sinnott, it's a different story.
Sinnott is looking to cement his place as the TE1 next season. Opportunities were limited until Zach Ertz went down with a torn ACL. He's likely done in Washington, but although the 2024 second-round pick has flashed brief promise, the jury is still out.
Commanders insider expects to see more from Ben Sinnott in Week 18
Commanders team writer Zach Selby stated that he will be watching Sinnott's progress closely at Lincoln Financial Field. He's expecting more targets for the Kansas State product. How he handles this possible workload increase could have massive ramifications for his future.
"[Ben] Sinnott was evaluated as an all-around tight end during the draft process, and there haven't been many opportunities to show his skill set as a pass-catcher. Some of that is out of his control. There were only 22 combined completions for Washington in Weeks 15 and 16, which means there weren't many opportunities for Sinnott to get targets. It's unknown at this point how the Commanders' offense will approach their second matchup against the Eagles, but the hope is that the unit will put together longer drives, which could lead to Sinnott getting more targets."Zach Selby
This is the opportunity Sinnott craved. He was always confident he could step up and produce. The Commanders are trying to bring him along gradually, but there will be no better chance to throw him in at the deep end to see how he fares in one of the most hostile environments anywhere in the league.
If he thrives, that might be enough for the Commanders to give him an extended look next time around. Anything less, and Peters will no doubt identify another tight end in free agency or the draft to push for his place.
That is how high the stakes are for Sinnott. The Commanders selected him at No. 53 overall in 2024 to eventually fill the void left by Ertz when he ultimately left the franchise. That time is now upon us, and Washington doesn't know if he is far enough along yet.
This is a problem. Making Sinnott a focal point against the Eagles is the only way to find out for sure.