3 Commanders players who must finish the 2023 season strongly
By Dean Jones
Which Washington Commanders players must finish the 2023 season strongly despite the team having nothing much to motivate them?
The Washington Commanders get back to work this week after enjoying an extended rest period over their bye. Any hopes they had of salvaging anything from the campaign might be long gone, but that shouldn't stop every player and coach from putting in maximum effort to improve their fortunes.
While it might be too late for head coach Ron Rivera, that's not the case with everyone. Picking up some late momentum down the stretch could go a long way to determining their respective roles under a new regime. Whether they're capable of rising to the challenge at 4-9 and going nowhere fast is another matter.
New coaches normally have a different way of going about things. With the Commanders almost having a blank slate, even the most established stars should be nervously looking over their shoulders.
With this in mind, here are three Commanders players who must finish strongly over their remaining four contests in 2023.
Logan Thomas - Commanders TE
Many feel like Logan Thomas' fate is already sealed. The tight end looks like a prime salary-cap casualty during the offseason. But there is still time to shift this narrative in the hopes of sticking around on the final year of his deal.
Thomas has become a decent security blanket option for quarterback Sam Howell. He's also stayed relatively healthy, which was a big question mark before the campaign after a frustrating 2022.
That said, the numbers aren't enough to justify his $8.31 million cap number next season. Anything less than an exceptional end to the campaign will likely see the former college quarterback moved on by the Washington Commanders under the new regime.