The Washington Commanders quickly turned the page after their dismal 2025 season reached a merciful conclusion. And general manager Adam Peters wasted no time in kick-starting his recruitment with a flurry of signings on clean-out day.
Washington needs a drastic overhaul across the board this offseason. Peters has the most pending free agents anywhere in the league, and the NFL's oldest roster needs to get a lot younger. Nothing else will do.
It'll be a challenging few months for the franchise. However, fans are confident they still have the right man leading the Commanders' front office, despite things not going according to plan during the recently concluded campaign.
Commanders sign 11 young hopefuls to reserve/futures contracts for 2026
There is significant hard work ahead. This has already begun, with the Commanders confirming that 11 players had signed reserve/futures contracts before embarking on their offseason vacations.
These include some who have been around the setup throughout the season. Others joined only recently. But all will get the chance to carve out roles for themselves when preparations for 2026 begin.
- OL Sala Aumavae-Laulu
- DT Ricky Barber
- WR Ja'Corey Brooks
- CB Tre Hawkins
- DE D.J. Johnson
- WR Jacoby Jones
- DE TJ Maguranyanga
- S Rob McDaniel
- OL Tim McKay
- CB Darius Rush
- CB Car'lin Vigers
Ricky Barber flashed promise when tasked with involvement down the stretch. Others were on the practice squad but did enough to stick around. Whether they can make a big enough impression remains to be seen, but each individual has clearly done enough to warrant another look from those in power.
Edge rusher D.J. Johnson wasn't called up to the active roster in Week 18. However, this latest development suggests the Commanders may see long-term promise in the player.
Johnson fluffed his lines with the Carolina Panthers after then-general manager Scott Fitterer — now a personnel executive in Washington — traded up to secure his services at No. 80 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. He's clearly not ready to give up on the Oregon product, but expecting miracles is unrealistic.
This is the first (and smallest) step for Peters in his quest to make the Commanders a legitimate force once again. Next, it's the future of his veteran free agents. After that, the focus turns to free-agent additions and trusting his assessments heading into the 2026 NFL Draft.
Not many signed to reserve/futures contracts take the next step. But even if one or two manage to accomplish this, it'll make a significant difference.