The momentum surrounding the Washington Commanders has been welcome and surprising in equal measure under the new regime. Those around the league are starting to see it too.
After another professional performance against the New York Giants in Week 9, the Commanders are 7-2 at the midway point. They look set to become a potential postseason challenger and maybe even win the NFC East if the same trend continues. Regardless of what transpires over the second half of 2024, this franchise is on the right path after decades of abject failure.
This was a sentiment echoed by Adam Schefter of ESPN. The respected insider revealed that players have actively sounded out Washington as a potential destination to their agents leading into the 2024 trade deadline. Something he believes could be the start of an exciting future as the Commanders become a desirable destination once again.
"Players want to wind up in Washington playing for the Commanders. In recent weeks, there have been players who privately stated or told their agents that they want to be traded to the Commanders, league sources told ESPN. It's possible the Commanders could comply by Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET trade deadline. The Commanders have explored adding a cornerback and could use help at wide receiver, according to league sources. But even if the Commanders can't complete any trades by the deadline, the fact that certain players would like to land in Washington bodes well for the franchise in free agency and in years to come, league sources told ESPN."Adam Schefter, ESPN
Schefter is more clued-up with agents around the league than anybody. This isn't something he'd just make up. It's also unlikely to have come from one source.
Commanders are in a strong long-term position under Adam Peters
This inevitably came with unrivaled joy from Washington's long-suffering fanbase on social media. It's been a long time since this organization had stability and the region had a team to be proud of. The new regime solved both issues in one offseason, which stemmed from hiring the right guys and building the correct culture capable of sustained growth.
Whether this changes anything from general manager Adam Peters' point of view with the November 5 trade deadline looming remains to be seen. Players might want to join the Commanders. Negotiating deals with their current employers is something else entirely.
Peters has already proven capable of extracting value from his trade transactions. These have centered on trade-downs during the draft and outgoings up to now. But with expectations rising all the time, being more aggressive is worth considering if the price is right.
When players get the chance to choose their next destination, Peters can capitalize on this new allure regarding Washington. The Commanders have $121.45 million in available salary-cap space next spring with 30 players under contract. The front-office leader won't be reckless, but there are far worse positions to be in that's for sure.
Good things are happening in Washington. Changing the narrative of toxicity and disgrace that enveloped the franchise under the previous owner was the primary objective both on and off the field this season. To say they've succeeded in this task so far would be a major understatement.
After everything fans have been forced to endure of late, they're right to savor every moment.