The Washington Commanders close out their season when they visit the Philadelphia Eagles. Their disaster campaign will reach a merciful end, but there's one way it could still get worse.
Depending on the result of the matchup between the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears at the same time, the contest could be a game in which neither team has anything to play for. If that ends up being the case, the Eagles have the opportunity to do something that would be very embarrassing for Washington.
And Nick Sirianni is precisely the type of guy who would do it, especially after reports of quarterback Jalen Hurts and other established pros getting the afternoon off at Lincoln Financial Field.
Commanders may have to face Sam Howell at some stage in Week 18
Amazingly, it's been only two years since Sam Howell was the Commanders' starting quarterback for all 17 games of the 2023 season. There was a point in time when he looked like he could be Washington's future. Some fans even wanted to give him another year under a new coaching staff.
Instead, he's been traded three times since then. Howell is now a member of the Eagles, where he is the third-string quarterback behind Hurts and 2023 sixth-round pick Tanner McKee. He hasn't played a snap all season, but that could change this weekend.
When the Commanders last faced the Eagles two weeks ago, things got testy. Philadelphia went for a late two-point conversion that Washington challenged, and the result was an all-out brawl that led to multiple players being ejected. Dan Quinn vowed revenge, but his words mean nothing when his team is outmatched.
This time, the game is in Philadelphia, and the Eagles will be facing Josh Johnson for the entire contest. Sirianni has decided that rest for his difference-makers is more crucial than a potential surge up the playoff standings. This is where Howell comes in.
Don't be surprised to see Sirianni rub salt in Washington's wound by giving Howell some playing time in Week 18. There's a world where he gets garbage time snaps in a blowout win, and another one where he and the rest of Philly's backups lead a dogfight victory over his former team. Both scenarios would be sub-optimal for the Commanders.
Every time it's felt like the Commanders have hit rock bottom in 2025, they've somehow managed to keep digging deeper. Losing to Howell would be the most humiliating way possible to cap off this pure nightmare of a season.