All good things must come to an end.
The Washington Commanders' fairytale season fell at the NFC Championship stage with a heartbreaking loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Although disappointing, fans cannot be anything other than thrilled with how things unfolded during the first campaign under head coach Dan Quinn.
This new era is off to the best possible start. The Commanders are way ahead of schedule with 12 wins and a playoff success. They are an attractive destination for free agents and have plenty of resources available to strengthen the playing personnel this offseason.
That is now general manager Adam Peters' primary focus.
The front-office leader was a tremendous hire for this organization. Peters instilled a sense of professionalism and purpose that got everyone around the league looking at Washington differently. It's an exciting time, but not everybody will come along for the ride.
The Commanders have a plethora of free agents. Peters must decide which ones to keep and which ones to dispose of. He's adopted ruthlessness with his roster building. Expect that trend to continue in the coming months.
With this in mind, here are 10 Commanders players who definitely won't be back in 2025. We'll begin with veteran safety Darrick Forrest.
Commanders players who definitely won't be back in 2025
Darrick Forrest - Commanders S
Dan Quinn and Adam Peters wasted no time adding to the defense upon assuming positions of power. One of the biggest changes came in the safety position.
The Commanders let Kamren Curl walk in free agency. Jeremy Chinn was acquired from the Carolina Panthers on a one-year deal and 2023 second-round selection Quan Martin switched to the backend after spending his rookie campaign as a nickel cornerback. This proved to be a productive partnership with long-term upside attached.
Chinn and Martin look well suited to Quinn's schematic concepts. They came on positively as the campaign wore on and firmly established themselves. That was positive for the Commanders — not so much for Darrick Forrest.
The former Cincinnati standout was the starter under Ron Rivera. Forrest's season in 22023 was cut short by injury. By the time he was ready to return, everything had changed.
Forrest didn't fit in nearly as well. He was a rotational piece at best and even a healthy scratch more often than not. This was extremely disappointing for the defensive back in a contract year.
There's no doubt Forrest will be eager to embrace a new challenge this offseason. Just where that'll be remains to be seen, but his future lies away from Washington.