4 Commanders players who could potentially regress in 2024
By Dean Jones
There's belief surrounding the Washington Commanders where once there was nothing but pessimism. It's been hard to keep up with all the appointments and roster alterations since the 2023 campaign concluded. Something that signaled the start of what will hopefully become a prosperous new era for the organization under Josh Harris' ownership group.
This could go either way initially. Some around the media believe the Commanders' rebuild could bring immediate results - especially if rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels takes off. Others highlighted that it'll take longer. Everyone thinks Washington will get back to prominence, even if the timeline is a little sketchy.
Washington needs everyone firing on all cylinders. Dan Quinn cannot afford to have any weak links in an ideal world. That's not always the case around NFL teams for differing reasons. This makes limiting subpar performances through strong preparation more important than ever.
With this in mind, here are four Commanders players who could potentially regress in 2024.
Tress Way - Commanders P
The Washington Commanders need Tress Way to produce the goods in 2024. He's one of the team's longest-serving players and a respected figure within the locker room. That said, the punter faces a make-or-break campaign that could be his last in the famous burgundy and gold if things don't go well.
Way is one of the franchise's greatest-ever punters. He's a two-time Pro Bowl presence and flourished in a leadership role. However, there was a notable drop-off in production last time around that cannot be ignored.
Adam Peters didn't do anything drastic with Way this offseason. The Commanders are letting him play out the final year of his deal and see where things stand after that. There's a chance he can bounce back at 34 years old, but there's just no telling for sure.
Father time waits for no player, punters included. If Way regresses even moderately next season, Peters won't hesitate to go in a different direction if he feels like it's the best thing to take the Commanders forward.
Way is experienced enough to know this. How he responds will be crucial to his hopes of seeing out his career in the nation's capital.