Reported motives throw down the gauntlet to Commanders' underperforming stars

The Washington Commanders are leaving no stone unturned in pursuit of getting out of their current slump.

Had it not been for a miracle Hail Mary against the Chicago Bears, they'd be sitting at .500 right now. Panic is starting to set in amongst the fanbase, who were dreaming of postseason football once again after the team's sensational start under new head coach Dan Quinn.

Having the right perspective is sometimes difficult. The Commanders are way ahead of schedule with seven wins at this point. Not many expected them to reach this figure for the campaign's entirety - let alone after nine games. However, it raised expectations arguably to levels this squad cannot reach in Year 1 of an extensive rebuild.

Things are gloomy right now, but the Commanders still hold destiny in their own hands. They are in the seventh seed despite their disastrous three-contest losing skid. Their margin for error has evaporated, so nothing but improved cohesion and supreme execution will do.

Commanders work out five players at problem positions after Week 12

Adam Peters isn't someone who sits on his hands. The general manager is ultra-aggressive with no sentiment attached to his decision-making process. His reported motives following the team's embarrassing loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 12 threw down the gauntlet to his underperforming squad in no uncertain terms.

According to Nicki Jhabvala from The Washington Post, the Commanders worked out five players on Tuesday. This is the clearest sign yet that Peters is not going to wait around to see if things improve. He wants contingency plans in place before deciding on further action.

Washington tried out running backs James Robinson and Boston Scott. They also signed former sixth-round pick Chris Rodriguez Jr. back onto the active roster after Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler both suffered injuries versus the Cowboys.

Another area where the Commanders aren't convinced is at cornerback. Joe Whitt Jr.'s unit is still awaiting the debut of shutdown presence Marshon Lattimore following his trade from the New Orleans Saints. But with Benjamin St-Juste regressing and Emmanuel Forbes Jr. out of favor, the decision-makers took a look at some options looking for work too.

Jerry Jacobs, Qwuantrezz Knight, and Jason Maitre were the cornerbacks worked out by Washington. Jacobs' reportedly went well according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, but nothing concrete emerged in terms of a deal.

It shows the Commanders aren't happy. It shows they won't hesitate to pull the trigger unless those currently around raise their consistency levels. If another poor performance arrives during Washington's critical game against the Tennessee Titans in Week 13, it would be a huge shock if Peters didn't act at some stage over the bye week.

The pressure is on.

Washington wants to maximize a chance to enhance this exciting project and reach the postseason. That represents a best-case scenario at this juncture - one that would see them become an attractive destination for pending free agents as Peters looks to maximize quarterback Jayden Daniels' rookie contract in the coming years.

Either the players not reaching their billing make the improvements needed, or Peters will find people who can. It's that simple.

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