After one of the most turbulent and dramatic offseasons in recent memory, it's time to finally get excited about the Washington Commanders in 2023.
It'll be nice for the Washington Commanders and their long-suffering fanbase to finally begin focusing on football again. Players will start reporting for training camp in the coming days, which is the last and most important phase of the preparation period before they take the field in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals.
The pressure is on to make serious strides next season. Many within the Commanders are nervously looking over their shoulders for obvious reasons, so anything less than an improved record and high morale across the franchise could lead to some big-time changes when the upcoming campaign concludes.
Things won't be easy with a tough-looking schedule and a highly-competitive division to overcome. But anyone sleeping on the Commanders is doing so at their peril if everything finally clicks for this once-proud organization.
To be more specific, here are three reasons why fans should be excited about the Commanders in 2023.
Commanders have Eric Bieniemy
It was a modest recruitment phase on the player side as the Washington Commanders navigated their ownership flux. However, the acquisition of Eric Bieniemy could be more important than any addition to the roster when it's all said and done.
Bieniemy is ready to maximize this outstanding opportunity to control an offense for the first time. There will be no Andy Reid micromanaging in Washington - Ron Rivera is going to give his new play-caller newfound freedom to flourish and run the operation as he sees fit in pursuit of progression.
His presence and enthusiasm have been a breath of fresh air since joining the Commanders. More importantly, Bieniemy has raised standards, increased accountability, and has the entire offense believing that he can take them places they've never been before.
If that's not enough to get fans excited, I don't know what is.
Commanders get Chase Young back
There are some who've already written off Chase Young. Many fans don't believe he'll ever reach the level expected coming out of college, but that is not a sentiment shared by the player or the Washington Commanders just yet.
Even though those in power declined Young's fifth-year option, they remain confident that the No. 2 overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft can alter a worrying recent career path. Injuries and inconsistent performances over the last two seasons have seen doubts grow exponentially, leaving the margin for error incredibly slim heading into the new campaign.
Young knows what's at stake in 2023. Either he'll stay healthy and get back to the form of old or being labeled as one of the biggest draft busts of the modern era becomes guaranteed.
High stakes, indeed. Young is doing everything in his power to get his body right ahead of training camp and looks in phenomenal shape, but all fans care about is on-field production increasing and more importantly, putting a prolonged run of contests together without injury complications.
If the Commanders get Young at 100 percent and he plays a full 17-game slate, then it might be enough for their defensive front to become truly dominant. They are already well on their way to this with Daron Payne, Jonathan Allen, and Montez Sweat, so the Ohio State product's return represents the icing on top of a very delicious cake.
Commanders are under new ownership
There is just one day remaining before the Washington Commanders' association with Dan Snyder ends once and for all. Despite some late rumored stumbling blocks threatening to hold things up, everything is proceeding on course as NFL owners get set to meet and formally approve the franchise's $6.05 billion sale on July 20.
The scenes of jubilation and celebration will be widespread when the news becomes official tomorrow. Based on how much misery Snyder inflicted on the Commanders throughout his torrid 24-year reign, they are going to last for some time.
While this might not have much bearing on what transpires on the field given its timing, the presence of Josh Harris' ownership group alone could be enough to raise urgency in pursuit of avoiding any changes. It should also allow a few lingering issues on the playing side to be resolved with extra financial flexibility.
This, above all else, is a reason to be excited about the Commanders in 2023. Harris and his team of investors have a grand plan in place that centers on restoring the franchise to its community roots, getting fans onside, becoming more personable, and forming a long-term plan for a new stadium at a venue to be determined.
Snyder set the bar as low as almost any NFL owner in history. Light at the end of the tunnel has been reached, which is the first stage of what will hopefully be a prosperous future for the Commanders.