For the Washington Commanders, the 2025 campaign has been heavy on frustration and light on silver linings.
At 3–8, with inconsistency on both sides of the ball and a defense that’s undergone constant retooling, it has not been easy to pinpoint long-term answers. But one player who has steadily emerged and whose flashes have felt increasingly sustainable has been Jordan Magee.
And in a Week 13 Sunday Night Football matchup against the 9–2 Denver Broncos, his role becomes even more critical.
Magee represents something Washington’s defense has lacked for years: a young, fast, explosive second-level defender with instincts for finding the football. With Bobby Wagner likely in his final stretch with the Commanders and the linebacker room still unsettled, the 2024 fifth-round pick has positioned himself as a centerpiece for the future.
Jordan Magee's role will be crucial for Commanders' chances against the Broncos
His tape shows a hybrid defender who can play downhill, track sideline-to-sideline, and operate comfortably in space — traits essential for the modern NFL. Against the Broncos, those strengths will be tested immediately.
For head coach Sean Payton, quarterback Bo Nix, and the Denver offense, they lean heavily into rhythm, efficiency, and staying ahead of the sticks. Rookie running back R.J. Harvey assists in that goal as a one-cut runner who quickly works through creases and forces linebackers to take clean angles or risk being outleveraged. That is where Magee's skill set becomes vital.
Dan Quinn needs Magee to be the linebacker who beats blocks to landmarks, who slips through traffic before guards climb to him, and who cleans up Harvey before three-yard gains turn into seven, as they have all year. His ability to scrape over the top with fluidity is one of the reasons he’s been able to carve out more snaps, and it will be central to Washington’s plan to make Denver earn every inch.
Then there’s Nix. While not a burner, the 2024 first-rounder is an excellent second-reaction signal-caller — meaning someone who extends plays, escapes outside the pocket, and forces linebackers to cover for longer stretches. That's another complication.
The Commanders can't afford to let Nix turn broken structure into first downs, and Magee may be the only linebacker on the roster with the speed and closing burst to chase him down consistently. Well, the only one who has been given snaps with that skill set *cough* Kain Medrano.
For a Commanders roster looking toward 2026, Sunday night won’t just be about competing with one of the elite rosters in the AFC — it’ll be about finding out how real some young players' trajectories are. Magee's role is growing, his responsibilities are increasing, and his matchup couldn’t be more vital.
Washington needs a spark, and No. 58 is becoming one.