4 Commanders under contract in 2024 that fans are ready to move on from
By Dean Jones
Which Washington Commanders players under contract for the 2024 campaign are fans ready to move on from this offseason?
Everything is still up in the air in terms of player personnel decisions until the Washington Commanders hire their next head coach. New general manager Adam Peters wants this to be an aligned vision and collaborative approach. He'll have his ideas on what needs to be done, but their incoming coaching leader is also going to have a significant say.
Speculation continues to link the Commanders with Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. There seems to be a clear path to the exceptional play-caller after the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons went in different directions. In this scenario, Washington would land the most coveted head coach and general manager candidates in the first offseason under Josh Harris' ownership group.
Optimism is high among the fanbase as a result. For those players awaiting their fate, it's a nervous time and one that could see them exploring alternative employment when it's all said and done.
With this in mind, here are four Commanders players under contract in 2024 who fans are ready to move on from this offseason.
Nick Gates - Commanders OL
Aside from Sam Cosmi's exceptional season, the Washington Commanders offensive line was a catastrophe. Ron Rivera's failure to give his protection the necessary investment via free agency and the draft became an ongoing frustration and a primary catalyst behind his demise. Something that also made life extremely difficult for quarterback Sam Howell during his first - and perhaps only - season as the team's starter.
Nick Gates came into the Commanders with some intrigue despite the injury red flags. To say the veteran didn't meet even modest expectations would be an understatement. The fact he's counting $5.65 million against the salary cap in 2024 makes things even worse.
The Commanders would need to eat some dead cap to part ways with Gates ahead of time. Keeping him around as a backup option might be considered depending on how Adam Peters and the new head coach see things. But nobody would shed any tears if the former Nebraska college star left at some stage this offseason.