7 things Washington Commanders fans want to see in 2024

Josh Harris was approved as the new owner of the Washington Commanders last year. Fans with wild imaginations hoped for an immediate turnaround. They were disappointed.

Most of the fanbase understood that decades of mismanagement could not be magically corrected in one season. Still, a wretched 4-13 campaign served as a painful reminder of just how far this franchise had to go to regain respectability.

Harris said he didn’t want to make any rash decisions, preferring to observe and learn for the better part of 2023. He did put his imprint on operations in several crucial ways. One of the biggest moves during the season was to hire Eugene Shen as senior vice president of football strategy.

This signaled a long overdue move into the world of analytics and an overall eagerness to update tired management practices. Shen’s hiring coincided with the team’s decision to trade both Montez Sweat and Chase Young to begin Washington's rebuild.

Harris displayed further aggressiveness and innovative thinking by hiring Rick Spielman and Bob Myers. They acted as advisors in the search for a new head of football operations.

Bringing in Myers, architect of the Golden State Warriors dynasty that won four NBA titles, was a masterstroke. Those hirings led to Adam Peters’ arrival as general manager. All the other changes to roster, coaching staff, and front office personnel has been met with approval by league insiders and fans alike.

None of that means anything if the Commanders don’t begin showing significant improvement on the field. Realistic projections accept that Washington is still several rungs behind its division rivals. Fans always hope for the best, but most recognize that lofty goals like winning the NFC East in 2024 remain long shots.

Still, there are several concrete achievements that fans can realistically expect to see in the coming season. Here are seven things that will make Washington's long-suffering support happy in 2024.

Commanders make it through the season scandal-free

Let’s start with some low-hanging fruit. Let’s hope that whatever negative headlines come in 2024 are about poor on-field play, and not about despicable behavior off the field. This is a bare bones target which the previous regime seemed woefully incapable of attaining.

Everyone hopes that the sordid and petty things that went on under Dan Snyder’s leadership are in the rearview mirror. The manner in which Adam Peters and Dan Quinn handled the Brandon McManus issue serve as a clear indication Josh Harris will not tolerate such distractions.

McManus, accused of sexual assault while a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars, was released within a week of the news going public. It left the team without a veteran kicker, but that seemed to be of little concern to Peters and Quinn.

We can expect to see Harris and Peters adhere to strict behavioral standards in an attempt to remove the stigma left by previous ownership.