Bold prediction tips Commanders for shocking playoff berth in 2024

The Washington Commanders are moving along nicely this offseason. Everything across the franchise seemingly changed for the better during a memorable few months since the 2023 campaign concluded. There are still some tough hurdles to navigate at this stage of a vast rebuilding project, but things are looking more promising by the day.

There's a new zest of enthusiasm surrounding the Commanders that's hard to ignore. Dan Quinn and his staff are currently strengthening the foundations over the early stages of training camp. This can hopefully provide the springboard to better results when the regular season arrives, but there's no telling for sure until we get a good look at the football product.

The Commanders are quietly fancied to be more combative next season. It's a difficult division to overcome and there are many new faces to mold into a cohesive outfit. But if everything clicks into place as Quinn anticipates, it won't be much longer before some much-needed progress comes to fruition.

Commanders tipped to make shocking playoff appearance in 2024

This was a sentiment echoed by Rich Eisen from the NFL Network. The presenter/analyst named the Commanders at No. 2 in his five sleeper teams heading into the 2024 season. He even proclaimed Quinn could mastermind a potential playoff berth for the franchise in Year 1 of his head coaching tenure.

"I like the Washington Commanders to really wake up. Jayden Daniels, despite what the coach is saying that we need to see something before he gonna be named the starter, he's going to be your starting quarterback. Terry McLaurin is as good as they come in the National Football League, and I love Austin Ekeler with Brian Robinson Jr. And you know how DQ, Dan Quinn can rile some people up. This team is gonna be good this year, folks. And I think they can make the playoffs, how does that sound?"

- Rich Eisen

This would be better than even the brightest optimist envisages right now. The Commanders making the postseason is a dream come true. It's on the ambitious side considering the widespread alterations across the organization in such a short space of time, but there's just no telling what can be accomplished if some early momentum is generated.

If it takes a little longer, that's fine too. The Commanders are working with a long-term strategy in place. They'll have contingency plans for every eventuality. They also have plenty of financial flexibility thanks to some masterful contract management from Adam Peters since taking on the general manager role.

It's the time of year for dreaming big. Washington fans haven't had much to legitimately cheer over the last two decades. One could forgive them for getting a little carried away, but it's easy to see why that might be the case given how vibrant the atmosphere appears as the regular season edges closer.

Watching how things unfold over the opening month will be key. It would be disappointing if the Commanders weren't fundamentally sound and competitive in all phases. Whether that results in a postseason berth is anyone's guess, but it's going to be a fun ride regardless.