After the way their 2025 season went, the Washington Commanders are in one of the most precarious positions in the NFL.
They desperately needed to get younger and prioritize developing homegrown draft picks. They also have a star quarterback on his rookie contract for at least two (likely three) more years, which is when the Super Bowl window must be maximized.
How do you do both at once? That's for general manager Adam Peters to figure out.
The Commanders' third-year general manager made waves during free agency by targeting a host of players who just completed their fourth and fifth seasons, who should give Washington starting-caliber production for multiple years. But is it enough? Some analysts have their doubts.
Commanders are stuck in a tricky window as Jayden Daniels timeline ticks
Kevin Sheehan of The Team 980 argues that, despite an offseason that brought edge rusher Odafe Oweh, tight end Chig Okonkwo, rookie linebacker Sonny Styles, and plenty more to Washington, the team still can't settle.
After all, there's a playoff spot to push for.
"This team needs more good football players, that's the bottom line. Unless you're living in this world of "Let's try to win 7 or 8 games, then try to advance to 9 or 10 games, then maybe by 2029 we'll be a Super Bowl contender," that's not the way the NFL works anymore."
Sheehan didn't specifically mention Washington's wide receiver room, but that is where all the talk has been centered in recent weeks. With veterans such as Brandon Aiyuk and Stefon Diggs linked to the Commanders, it feels like Peters has to make a move to signal that this team is serious about competing.
This isn't the NBA or MLB. Just because the Commanders were bad last year with an aging roster, it doesn't mean they have to be bad for another half-decade while stockpiling draft picks.
The NFL is a year-to-year league. As the Commanders proved in 2024, the path toward contention doesn't always follow a linear pattern.
You can go from four wins one year to the NFC Championship the next. You can flip a roster from bad to good in one offseason. Because of that, you have to approach every new season as if the expectation is to at least go .500, if not make the playoffs.
Peters can't afford to sit on his hands with Daniels entering Year 3. Washington must operate under the goal of building a roster capable of winning a Super Bowl within the next three seasons.
Nothing else will do.
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